{ "version": "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1.1", "title": "Things related to faith Archive", "home_page_url": "https://pype.dev/faith/", "feed_url": "https://pype.dev/faith/archive/feed.json", "description": "My thoughts and streams of consciousness organized into barely coherent posts about things", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne" } ], "items": [ { "id": "https://pype.dev/fwbg-genesis-4-3/", "url": "https://pype.dev/fwbg-genesis-4-3/", "title": "FWBG - Genesis - 4.3", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003ebeware the growth of sin\u0026hellip; harboring it leads to worse consequences for us and others. Cain\u0026rsquo;s initial sin is left ambiguous but his response to his sin being called out by the Lord shows the trajectory of his life\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\nbeware the growth of sin... harboring it leads to worse consequences for us and others. Cain's initial sin is left ambiguous but his response to his sin being called out by the Lord shows the trajectory of his life\n", "summary": "beware the growth of sin... harboring it leads to worse consequences for us and others. Cain's initial sin is left ambiguous but his response to his sin...", "date_published": "2026-09-30T06:55:25Z", "date_modified": "2026-09-30T06:55:25Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "sin", "faith", "family-worship-bible-guide" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/fwbg-genesis-4-2/", "url": "https://pype.dev/fwbg-genesis-4-2/", "title": "FWBG - Genesis - 4.2", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003eMarvel at God\u0026rsquo;s patience. Cain could\u0026rsquo;ve heeded the Lord\u0026rsquo;s warnings, it would\u0026rsquo;ve been right.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\nMarvel at God's patience. Cain could've heeded the Lord's warnings, it would've been right.\n", "summary": "Marvel at God's patience. Cain could've heeded the Lord's warnings, it would've been right.", "date_published": "2026-09-28T06:35:28Z", "date_modified": "2026-09-28T06:35:28Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "faith", "family-worship-bible-guide" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/olivet-mens-group-2026-week-36/", "url": "https://pype.dev/olivet-mens-group-2026-week-36/", "title": "Men’s Group - Week 36", "content_html": "\u003ch1 id=\"week-36-september-20-26-2026\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eWeek 36 — September 20 – 26, 2026\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"meeting-friday-september-25-october-5\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMeeting: Friday, \u003c/span\u003e\u003cdel\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eSeptember 25\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/del\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003e October 5\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#meeting-friday-september-25-october-5\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"memory-verse-psalm-119-9-11\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMemory Verse: Psalm 119:9, 11\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#memory-verse-psalm-119-9-11\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePsalm 119:9, 11\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col start=\"9\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHow can a young man keep his way pure?\nBy guarding it with Your word.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have hidden Your word in my heart,\nthat I might not sin against You.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"readings\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eReadings\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#readings\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cinput disabled=\"\" type=\"checkbox\"\u003e Day 1: Matthew 24:32-51 \u0026amp; John 17\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cinput disabled=\"\" type=\"checkbox\"\u003e Day 2: Matthew 26:35-27:31\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cinput disabled=\"\" type=\"checkbox\"\u003e Day 3: Matthew 27:32-66\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cinput disabled=\"\" type=\"checkbox\"\u003e Day 4: Luke 23:26-56\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cinput disabled=\"\" type=\"checkbox\"\u003e Day 5: John 19\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"day-1-matthew-24-32-51-john-17\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDay 1 — Matthew 24:32-51 \u0026amp; John 17\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#day-1-matthew-24-32-51-john-17\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eMatthew 24:32-51\u003c/summary\u003e\n\u003col start=\"32\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNow learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo also, when you see all these things, you will know that He is near, right at the door.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTruly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAs it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd they were oblivious, until the flood came and swept them all away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTwo men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTwo women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTherefore keep watch, because you do not know the day on which your Lord will come.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut understand this: If the homeowner had known in which watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor this reason, you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWho then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the others their food at the proper time?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBlessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTruly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut suppose that servant is wicked and says in his heart, \u0026lsquo;My master will be away a long time.\u0026rsquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd he begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJohn 17\u003c/summary\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAfter Jesus had spoken these words, He looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor You granted Him authority over all people, so that He may give eternal life to all those You have given Him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNow this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI have glorified You on earth by accomplishing the work You gave Me to do.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world existed.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI have revealed Your name to those whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNow they know that everything You have given Me comes from You.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor I have given them the words You gave Me, and they have received them. They knew with certainty that I came from You, and they believed that You sent Me.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI ask on their behalf. I do not ask on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those You have given Me; for they are Yours.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAll I have is Yours, and all You have is Mine; and in them I have been glorified.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, protect them by Your name, the name You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhile I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name You gave Me. Not one of them has been lost, except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut now I am coming to You, and I am saying these things while I am in the world, so that they may have My joy fulfilled within them.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI have given them Your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI do not ask that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThey are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAs You sent Me into the world, I have also sent them into the world.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor them I sanctify Myself, so that they too may be sanctified by the truth.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI am not asking on behalf of them alone, but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their message,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ethat all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI have given them the glory You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one—\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI in them and You in Me—that they may be perfectly united, so that the world may know that You sent Me and have loved them just as You have loved Me.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFather, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, that they may see My glory, the glory You have given Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRighteous Father, although the world has not known You, I know You, and they know that You sent Me.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd I have made Your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love You have for Me may be in them, and I in them.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c/details\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"stands-out\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eStands out\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#stands-out\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003e36. But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.\n37. As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.\n38. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark.\n39. And they were oblivious, until the flood came and swept them all away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.\n\n---\n\n44. For this reason, you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.\n45. Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the others their food at the proper time?\n46. Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"means\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMeans\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#means\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eevery day, daily disciplined life, is what it looks like to wait upon the Lord. Not wishing I took advantage of a moment of debauchery, because the prize isn\u0026rsquo;t the discipline, it isn\u0026rsquo;t NOT doing the debauchery, the prize IS the King, and he can come and call at any moment\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"for-me\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eFor me\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#for-me\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edovetails with \u0026ldquo;work\u0026rdquo; from men\u0026rsquo;s group - work and jobs are different, and we are called to work, I should be working all the time:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ekids\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ehouse\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ewife\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eself-discipline\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI need to recover holy work in my life\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"prayer\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003ePrayer\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#prayer\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"day-2-matthew-26-35-27-31\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDay 2 — Matthew 26:35-27:31\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#day-2-matthew-26-35-27-31\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eMatthew 26:35-27:31\u003c/summary\u003e\n\u003col start=\"35\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeter replied, “Even if I have to die with You, I will never deny You.” And all the other disciples said the same thing.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He told them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen He said to them, “My soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGoing a little farther, He fell face down and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen Jesus returned to the disciples and found them sleeping. “Were you not able to keep watch with Me for one hour?” He asked Peter.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA second time He went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass unless I drink it, may Your will be done.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd again Jesus returned and found them sleeping—for their eyes were heavy.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo He left them and went away once more and prayed a third time, saying the same thing.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen He returned to the disciples and said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGet up! Let us go. See, My betrayer is approaching.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhile Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived, accompanied by a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and elders of the people.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNow the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The One I kiss is the Man; arrest Him.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGoing directly to Jesus, he said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“Friend,” Jesus replied, “do what you have come for.” Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus, and arrested Him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAt this, one of Jesus’ companions drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAre you not aware that I can call on My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAt that time Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would an outlaw? Every day I sat teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest Me.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut this has all happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThose who had arrested Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and elders had gathered.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut Peter followed Him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. And going inside, he sat down with the guards to see the outcome.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were searching for false testimony against Jesus so they could put Him to death.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two witnesses came forward\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eand declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo the high priest stood up and asked Him, “Have You no answer? What are these men testifying against You?”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut Jesus remained silent. So the high priest said to Him, “I charge You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“You have said it yourself,” Jesus answered. “But I say to all of you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAt this, the high priest tore his clothes and declared, “He has blasphemed! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhat is your verdict?” “He deserves death,” they answered.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen they spit in His face and struck Him. Others slapped Him\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eand said, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who hit You?”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMeanwhile, Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came up to him. “You were also with Jesus the Galilean,” she said.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut he denied it before them all: “I do not know what you are talking about.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen he had gone out to the gateway, another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man!”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAfter a little while, those standing nearby came up to Peter. “Surely you are one of them,” they said. “For even your accent gives you away.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eMatthew 27:1-31\u003c/summary\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people conspired against Jesus to put Him to death.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThey bound Him, led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate the governor.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was filled with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” he said. “What is that to us?” they replied. “You bear the responsibility.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo Judas threw the silver into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe chief priests picked up the pieces of silver and said, “It is unlawful to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAfter conferring together, they used the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThat is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on Him by the people of Israel,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eand they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord had commanded me.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMeanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him: “Are You the King of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He gave no answer.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen Pilate asked Him, “Do You not hear how many charges they are bringing against You?”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut Jesus gave no answer, not even to a single charge, much to the governor’s amazement.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAt the feast, the governor was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to the crowd, whomever they wanted.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAt that time they were holding a notorious prisoner named Barabbas.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Whom do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhile Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much in a dream today because of Him.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut the chief priests and elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus put to death.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they answered.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify Him!”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“Why? What evil has He done?” Pilate asked. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify Him!”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but that a riot was breaking out instead, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “You bear the responsibility.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAll the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen Pilate released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around Him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThey stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd they twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand and knelt down before Him to mock Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen they spit on Him, and took the staff and struck Him on the head again and again.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAfter they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the robe, put His own clothes back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c/details\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"stands-out-1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eStands out\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#stands-out-1\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003e35. Peter replied, “Even if I have to die with You, I will never deny You.” And all the other disciples said the same thing.\n\n\u0026gt; but I deny him with my actions every day\n\n\n53. Are you not aware that I can call on My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?\n54. But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?”\n\n\u0026gt; there's a tension in reality... Jesus _can_ do whatever he wants and submits himself to prophecy anyways, it's circular to me sort of. but it also means that I need to stop questioning every aspect of reality in my \u0026quot;if this then that\u0026quot; processing. sometimes we're just bound by reality - even the Lord was.\n\n\n74. Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed.\n75. Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.\n\n\u0026gt; is Jesus also just waiting for me to deny him? if I think he is I must also remember he was ready to forgive Peter\n\nJews tell Judas he bears the responsibility, then Pilate tells the Jews they do, then the Jews put it on their kids... interesting\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"means-1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMeans\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#means-1\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"for-me-1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eFor me\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#for-me-1\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"prayer-1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003ePrayer\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#prayer-1\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"day-3-matthew-27-32-66\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDay 3 — Matthew 27:32-66\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#day-3-matthew-27-32-66\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eMatthew 27:32-66\u003c/summary\u003e\n\u003col start=\"32\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlong the way they found a man from Cyrene named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross of Jesus.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen they came to a place called Golgotha, which means “The Place of the Skull,”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ethey offered Him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, He refused to drink it.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen they had crucified Him, they divided His garments by casting lots, to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “They divided My garments among them and cast lots for My clothing.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd sitting down, they kept watch over Him there.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbove His head they posted the written charge against Him: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTwo robbers were crucified with Him, one on His right hand and one on His left.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eand saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIn the same way, the chief priests, scribes, and elders mocked Him,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003esaying, “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe trusts in God. Let God deliver Him now if He wants Him. For He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIn the same way, even the robbers who were crucified with Him heaped abuse on Him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrom the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbout the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He is calling Elijah.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eImmediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a reed, and held it up for Jesus to drink.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut the others said, “Leave Him alone. Let us see if Elijah comes to save Him.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He yielded up His spirit.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAt that moment the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe tombs broke open, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAfter Jesus’ resurrection, when they had come out of the tombs, they entered the holy city and appeared to many people.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified and said, “Truly this was the Son of God.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to minister to Him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAmong them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen it was evening, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph came, who himself was also a disciple of Jesus.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eand placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone against the entrance to the tomb and went away.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe next day, which is the day after Preparation Day, the chief priests and Pharisees assembled before Pilate\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eand said, “Sir, we remember that while He was alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo give the order that the tomb be secured until the third day. Otherwise, His disciples may come and steal Him away and tell the people He has risen from the dead, and the last deception will be worse than the first.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“Go and make the tomb as secure as you know how,” Pilate answered.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and posting a guard.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c/details\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"stands-out-2\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eStands out\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#stands-out-2\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"means-2\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMeans\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#means-2\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"for-me-2\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eFor me\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#for-me-2\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"prayer-2\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003ePrayer\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#prayer-2\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"day-4-luke-23-26-56\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDay 4 — Luke 23:26-56\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#day-4-luke-23-26-56\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eLuke 23:26-56\u003c/summary\u003e\n\u003col start=\"26\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAs the soldiers led Him away, they seized Simon of Cyrene on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him to carry behind Jesus.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA great number of people followed Him, along with women who were mourning and wailing for Him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLook, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed!’\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAt that time they will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor if men do these things while the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTwo others, who were criminals, were also led away to be executed with Jesus.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals, one on His right hand and the other on His left.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His garments by casting lots.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe people stood watching, and the rulers sneered at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe soldiers also mocked Him and came up to offer Him sour wine.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“If You are the King of the Jews,” they said, “save Yourself!”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbove Him was posted an inscription: “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOne of the criminals who hung there heaped abuse on Him: “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut the other criminal rebuked him. “Do you not even fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same judgment?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWe are punished justly, for we are receiving what our actions deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over all the land until the ninth hour.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn down the middle.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen Jesus called out in a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit.” And when He had said this, He breathed His last.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen the centurion saw what had happened, he gave glory to God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut all those who knew Jesus, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching these things.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNow there was a righteous and devout man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ewho had not consented to their plan and action. He was from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he was waiting for the kingdom of God.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen he brought it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and placed it in a tomb cut out of the rock, where no one had yet been laid.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how His body was placed.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen they returned to prepare spices and perfumes. And they rested on the Sabbath, according to the commandment.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c/details\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"stands-out-3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eStands out\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#stands-out-3\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"means-3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMeans\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#means-3\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"for-me-3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eFor me\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#for-me-3\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"prayer-3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003ePrayer\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#prayer-3\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"day-5-john-19\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDay 5 — John 19\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#day-5-john-19\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJohn 19\u003c/summary\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and dressed Him in a purple robe.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd they went up to Him again and again, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and slapping Him in the face.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOnce more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, “Look, I am bringing Him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against Him.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAs soon as the chief priests and officers saw Him, they shouted, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate told them, “You take Him and crucify Him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against Him.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“We have a law,” answered the Jews, “and according to that law He must die, because He declared Himself to be the Son of God.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe went back into the Praetorium and asked Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave no answer.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo Pilate said to Him, “Do You refuse to speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You and authority to crucify You?”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed Me over to you is guilty of greater sin.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrom then on, Pilate tried to release Him, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who declares himself a king is defying Caesar.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called the Stone Pavement, which in Hebrew is Gabbatha.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt was the day of Preparation for the Passover, about the sixth hour. And Pilate said to the Jews, “Here is your King!”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAt this, they shouted, “Away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate asked, “Shall I crucify your King?” “We have no king but Caesar,” replied the chief priests.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen Pilate handed Him over to be crucified, and the soldiers took Him away.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCarrying His own cross, He went out to the place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThere they crucified Him, and with Him two others, one on each side, with Jesus in the middle.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePilate also had a notice posted on the cross. It read: “JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMany of the Jews read this sign, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘This man said, I am the King of the Jews.’”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided His garments into four parts, a part for each soldier, and the tunic remained. It was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo they said to one another, “Let us not tear it; instead, let us cast lots to see who will get it.” This was to fulfill the Scripture: “They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” So that is what the soldiers did.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNear the cross of Jesus stood His mother and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, here is your son.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen He said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” So from that hour, the disciple took her into his home.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAfter this, knowing that everything had now been accomplished, and to fulfill the Scripture, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA jar of sour wine was sitting there. So they soaked a sponge in the wine, put it on a hyssop stalk, and lifted it to His mouth.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished.” And bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt was the day of Preparation, and the next day was a special Sabbath. In order to avoid leaving the bodies on the cross during the Sabbath, the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies removed.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and those of the other.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInstead, one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe one who saw it has testified, and his testimony is true. He knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNow these things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of His bones will be broken.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd, as another Scripture says: “They will look on the One they have pierced.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAfter these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus (but secretly for fear of the Jews), asked Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission, so he came and removed His body.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNicodemus, who had previously come to Jesus at night, also brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo they took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in linen cloths with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNow there was a garden in the place where Jesus was crucified, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c/details\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"stands-out-4\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eStands out\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#stands-out-4\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"means-4\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMeans\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#means-4\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"for-me-4\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eFor me\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#for-me-4\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"prayer-4\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003ePrayer\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#prayer-4\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"prayer-requests\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003ePrayer Requests\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#prayer-requests\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cinput disabled=\"\" type=\"checkbox\"\u003e \u003cname\u003e — \u003crequest\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"answered-updates\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eAnswered / Updates\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#answered-updates\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cfollow-ups from previous weeks\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"meeting-notes\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMeeting Notes\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#meeting-notes\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;what the group discussed, insights from others\u0026gt;\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n# Week 36 — September 20 – 26, 2026\n\n### Meeting: Friday, ~~September 25~~ October 5\n\n### Memory Verse: Psalm 119:9, 11\n\n!!! quote \"Psalm 119:9, 11\"\n\n 9. How can a young man keep his way pure?\n By guarding it with Your word.\n\n 11. I have hidden Your word in my heart,\n that I might not sin against You.\n\n## Readings\n\n- [ ] Day 1: Matthew 24:32-51 \u0026 John 17\n- [ ] Day 2: Matthew 26:35-27:31\n- [ ] Day 3: Matthew 27:32-66\n- [ ] Day 4: Luke 23:26-56\n- [ ] Day 5: John 19\n\n---\n\n## Day 1 — Matthew 24:32-51 \u0026 John 17\n\n??? quote \"Matthew 24:32-51\"\n\n 32. Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near.\n 33. So also, when you see all these things, you will know that He is near, right at the door.\n 34. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.\n 35. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.\n 36. But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.\n 37. As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.\n 38. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark.\n 39. And they were oblivious, until the flood came and swept them all away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.\n 40. Two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.\n 41. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.\n 42. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day on which your Lord will come.\n 43. But understand this: If the homeowner had known in which watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.\n 44. For this reason, you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.\n 45. Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the others their food at the proper time?\n 46. Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.\n 47. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.\n 48. But suppose that servant is wicked and says in his heart, 'My master will be away a long time.'\n 49. And he begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.\n 50. The master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate.\n 51. Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.\n\n??? quote \"John 17\"\n\n 1. After Jesus had spoken these words, He looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You.\n 2. For You granted Him authority over all people, so that He may give eternal life to all those You have given Him.\n 3. Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.\n 4. I have glorified You on earth by accomplishing the work You gave Me to do.\n 5. And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world existed.\n 6. I have revealed Your name to those whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.\n 7. Now they know that everything You have given Me comes from You.\n 8. For I have given them the words You gave Me, and they have received them. They knew with certainty that I came from You, and they believed that You sent Me.\n 9. I ask on their behalf. I do not ask on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those You have given Me; for they are Yours.\n 10. All I have is Yours, and all You have is Mine; and in them I have been glorified.\n 11. I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, protect them by Your name, the name You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one.\n 12. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name You gave Me. Not one of them has been lost, except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.\n 13. But now I am coming to You, and I am saying these things while I am in the world, so that they may have My joy fulfilled within them.\n 14. I have given them Your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.\n 15. I do not ask that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one.\n 16. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.\n 17. Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.\n 18. As You sent Me into the world, I have also sent them into the world.\n 19. For them I sanctify Myself, so that they too may be sanctified by the truth.\n 20. I am not asking on behalf of them alone, but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their message,\n 21. that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.\n 22. I have given them the glory You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one—\n 23. I in them and You in Me—that they may be perfectly united, so that the world may know that You sent Me and have loved them just as You have loved Me.\n 24. Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, that they may see My glory, the glory You have given Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world.\n 25. Righteous Father, although the world has not known You, I know You, and they know that You sent Me.\n 26. And I have made Your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love You have for Me may be in them, and I in them.”\n\n### Stands out\n\n 36. But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.\n 37. As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.\n 38. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark.\n 39. And they were oblivious, until the flood came and swept them all away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.\n\n ---\n\n 44. For this reason, you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.\n 45. Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the others their food at the proper time?\n 46. Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.\n\n### Means\n\nevery day, daily disciplined life, is what it looks like to wait upon the Lord. Not wishing I took advantage of a moment of debauchery, because the prize isn't the discipline, it isn't NOT doing the debauchery, the prize IS the King, and he can come and call at any moment\n\n### For me\n\ndovetails with \"work\" from men's group - work and jobs are different, and we are called to work, I should be working all the time:\n\n- kids\n- house\n- wife\n- self-discipline\n\nI need to recover holy work in my life\n\n### Prayer\n\n## Day 2 — Matthew 26:35-27:31\n\n??? quote \"Matthew 26:35-27:31\"\n\n 35. Peter replied, “Even if I have to die with You, I will never deny You.” And all the other disciples said the same thing.\n 36. Then Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He told them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”\n 37. He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.\n 38. Then He said to them, “My soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.”\n 39. Going a little farther, He fell face down and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”\n 40. Then Jesus returned to the disciples and found them sleeping. “Were you not able to keep watch with Me for one hour?” He asked Peter.\n 41. “Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”\n 42. A second time He went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass unless I drink it, may Your will be done.”\n 43. And again Jesus returned and found them sleeping—for their eyes were heavy.\n 44. So He left them and went away once more and prayed a third time, saying the same thing.\n 45. Then He returned to the disciples and said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.\n 46. Get up! Let us go. See, My betrayer is approaching.”\n 47. While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived, accompanied by a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and elders of the people.\n 48. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The One I kiss is the Man; arrest Him.”\n 49. Going directly to Jesus, he said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.\n 50. “Friend,” Jesus replied, “do what you have come for.” Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus, and arrested Him.\n 51. At this, one of Jesus’ companions drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.\n 52. “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword.\n 53. Are you not aware that I can call on My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?\n 54. But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?”\n 55. At that time Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would an outlaw? Every day I sat teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest Me.\n 56. But this has all happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled.\n 57. Those who had arrested Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and elders had gathered.\n 58. But Peter followed Him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. And going inside, he sat down with the guards to see the outcome.\n 59. The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were searching for false testimony against Jesus so they could put Him to death.\n 60. But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two witnesses came forward\n 61. and declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”\n 62. So the high priest stood up and asked Him, “Have You no answer? What are these men testifying against You?”\n 63. But Jesus remained silent. So the high priest said to Him, “I charge You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God.”\n 64. “You have said it yourself,” Jesus answered. “But I say to all of you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”\n 65. At this, the high priest tore his clothes and declared, “He has blasphemed! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.\n 66. What is your verdict?” “He deserves death,” they answered.\n 67. Then they spit in His face and struck Him. Others slapped Him\n 68. and said, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who hit You?”\n 69. Meanwhile, Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came up to him. “You were also with Jesus the Galilean,” she said.\n 70. But he denied it before them all: “I do not know what you are talking about.”\n 71. When he had gone out to the gateway, another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”\n 72. And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man!”\n 73. After a little while, those standing nearby came up to Peter. “Surely you are one of them,” they said. “For even your accent gives you away.”\n 74. Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed.\n 75. Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.\n\n??? quote \"Matthew 27:1-31\"\n\n 1. When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people conspired against Jesus to put Him to death.\n 2. They bound Him, led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate the governor.\n 3. When Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was filled with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.\n 4. “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” he said. “What is that to us?” they replied. “You bear the responsibility.”\n 5. So Judas threw the silver into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.\n 6. The chief priests picked up the pieces of silver and said, “It is unlawful to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.”\n 7. After conferring together, they used the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners.\n 8. That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day.\n 9. Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on Him by the people of Israel,\n 10. and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord had commanded me.”\n 11. Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him: “Are You the King of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied.\n 12. And when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He gave no answer.\n 13. Then Pilate asked Him, “Do You not hear how many charges they are bringing against You?”\n 14. But Jesus gave no answer, not even to a single charge, much to the governor’s amazement.\n 15. At the feast, the governor was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to the crowd, whomever they wanted.\n 16. At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner named Barabbas.\n 17. So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Whom do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?”\n 18. For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.\n 19. While Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much in a dream today because of Him.”\n 20. But the chief priests and elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus put to death.\n 21. “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they answered.\n 22. “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify Him!”\n 23. “Why? What evil has He done?” Pilate asked. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify Him!”\n 24. When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but that a riot was breaking out instead, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “You bear the responsibility.”\n 25. All the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”\n 26. Then Pilate released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified.\n 27. Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around Him.\n 28. They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.\n 29. And they twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand and knelt down before Him to mock Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”\n 30. Then they spit on Him, and took the staff and struck Him on the head again and again.\n 31. After they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the robe, put His own clothes back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.\n\n### Stands out\n\n 35. Peter replied, “Even if I have to die with You, I will never deny You.” And all the other disciples said the same thing.\n\n \u003e but I deny him with my actions every day\n\n\n 53. Are you not aware that I can call on My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?\n 54. But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?”\n\n \u003e there's a tension in reality... Jesus _can_ do whatever he wants and submits himself to prophecy anyways, it's circular to me sort of. but it also means that I need to stop questioning every aspect of reality in my \"if this then that\" processing. sometimes we're just bound by reality - even the Lord was.\n\n\n 74. Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed.\n 75. Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.\n\n \u003e is Jesus also just waiting for me to deny him? if I think he is I must also remember he was ready to forgive Peter\n\n Jews tell Judas he bears the responsibility, then Pilate tells the Jews they do, then the Jews put it on their kids... interesting\n\n### Means\n\n### For me\n\n### Prayer\n\n## Day 3 — Matthew 27:32-66\n\n??? quote \"Matthew 27:32-66\"\n\n 32. Along the way they found a man from Cyrene named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross of Jesus.\n 33. When they came to a place called Golgotha, which means “The Place of the Skull,”\n 34. they offered Him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, He refused to drink it.\n 35. When they had crucified Him, they divided His garments by casting lots, to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “They divided My garments among them and cast lots for My clothing.”\n 36. And sitting down, they kept watch over Him there.\n 37. Above His head they posted the written charge against Him: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”\n 38. Two robbers were crucified with Him, one on His right hand and one on His left.\n 39. And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads\n 40. and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!”\n 41. In the same way, the chief priests, scribes, and elders mocked Him,\n 42. saying, “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him.\n 43. He trusts in God. Let God deliver Him now if He wants Him. For He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”\n 44. In the same way, even the robbers who were crucified with Him heaped abuse on Him.\n 45. From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.\n 46. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”\n 47. When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He is calling Elijah.”\n 48. Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a reed, and held it up for Jesus to drink.\n 49. But the others said, “Leave Him alone. Let us see if Elijah comes to save Him.”\n 50. When Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He yielded up His spirit.\n 51. At that moment the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split.\n 52. The tombs broke open, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised.\n 53. After Jesus’ resurrection, when they had come out of the tombs, they entered the holy city and appeared to many people.\n 54. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified and said, “Truly this was the Son of God.”\n 55. And many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to minister to Him.\n 56. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.\n 57. When it was evening, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph came, who himself was also a disciple of Jesus.\n 58. He went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him.\n 59. So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,\n 60. and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone against the entrance to the tomb and went away.\n 61. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.\n 62. The next day, which is the day after Preparation Day, the chief priests and Pharisees assembled before Pilate\n 63. and said, “Sir, we remember that while He was alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’\n 64. So give the order that the tomb be secured until the third day. Otherwise, His disciples may come and steal Him away and tell the people He has risen from the dead, and the last deception will be worse than the first.”\n 65. “Go and make the tomb as secure as you know how,” Pilate answered.\n 66. And they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and posting a guard.\n\n### Stands out\n\n### Means\n\n### For me\n\n### Prayer\n\n## Day 4 — Luke 23:26-56\n\n??? quote \"Luke 23:26-56\"\n\n 26. As the soldiers led Him away, they seized Simon of Cyrene on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him to carry behind Jesus.\n 27. A great number of people followed Him, along with women who were mourning and wailing for Him.\n 28. But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.\n 29. Look, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed!’\n 30. At that time they will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’\n 31. For if men do these things while the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”\n 32. Two others, who were criminals, were also led away to be executed with Jesus.\n 33. When they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals, one on His right hand and the other on His left.\n 34. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His garments by casting lots.\n 35. The people stood watching, and the rulers sneered at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.”\n 36. The soldiers also mocked Him and came up to offer Him sour wine.\n 37. “If You are the King of the Jews,” they said, “save Yourself!”\n 38. Above Him was posted an inscription: “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”\n 39. One of the criminals who hung there heaped abuse on Him: “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!”\n 40. But the other criminal rebuked him. “Do you not even fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same judgment?\n 41. We are punished justly, for we are receiving what our actions deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”\n 42. Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!”\n 43. And Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”\n 44. It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over all the land until the ninth hour.\n 45. The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn down the middle.\n 46. Then Jesus called out in a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit.” And when He had said this, He breathed His last.\n 47. When the centurion saw what had happened, he gave glory to God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.”\n 48. When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts.\n 49. But all those who knew Jesus, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching these things.\n 50. Now there was a righteous and devout man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council,\n 51. who had not consented to their plan and action. He was from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he was waiting for the kingdom of God.\n 52. He went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus.\n 53. Then he brought it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and placed it in a tomb cut out of the rock, where no one had yet been laid.\n 54. It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.\n 55. The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how His body was placed.\n 56. Then they returned to prepare spices and perfumes. And they rested on the Sabbath, according to the commandment.\n\n### Stands out\n\n### Means\n\n### For me\n\n### Prayer\n\n## Day 5 — John 19\n\n??? quote \"John 19\"\n\n 1. Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged.\n 2. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and dressed Him in a purple robe.\n 3. And they went up to Him again and again, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and slapping Him in the face.\n 4. Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, “Look, I am bringing Him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against Him.”\n 5. So Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”\n 6. As soon as the chief priests and officers saw Him, they shouted, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate told them, “You take Him and crucify Him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against Him.”\n 7. “We have a law,” answered the Jews, “and according to that law He must die, because He declared Himself to be the Son of God.”\n 8. When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid.\n 9. He went back into the Praetorium and asked Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave no answer.\n 10. So Pilate said to Him, “Do You refuse to speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You and authority to crucify You?”\n 11. Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed Me over to you is guilty of greater sin.”\n 12. From then on, Pilate tried to release Him, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who declares himself a king is defying Caesar.”\n 13. When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called the Stone Pavement, which in Hebrew is Gabbatha.\n 14. It was the day of Preparation for the Passover, about the sixth hour. And Pilate said to the Jews, “Here is your King!”\n 15. At this, they shouted, “Away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate asked, “Shall I crucify your King?” “We have no king but Caesar,” replied the chief priests.\n 16. Then Pilate handed Him over to be crucified, and the soldiers took Him away.\n 17. Carrying His own cross, He went out to the place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha.\n 18. There they crucified Him, and with Him two others, one on each side, with Jesus in the middle.\n 19. Pilate also had a notice posted on the cross. It read: “JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”\n 20. Many of the Jews read this sign, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek.\n 21. So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘This man said, I am the King of the Jews.’”\n 22. Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”\n 23. When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided His garments into four parts, a part for each soldier, and the tunic remained. It was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.\n 24. So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it; instead, let us cast lots to see who will get it.” This was to fulfill the Scripture: “They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” So that is what the soldiers did.\n 25. Near the cross of Jesus stood His mother and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.\n 26. When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, here is your son.”\n 27. Then He said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” So from that hour, the disciple took her into his home.\n 28. After this, knowing that everything had now been accomplished, and to fulfill the Scripture, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”\n 29. A jar of sour wine was sitting there. So they soaked a sponge in the wine, put it on a hyssop stalk, and lifted it to His mouth.\n 30. When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished.” And bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit.\n 31. It was the day of Preparation, and the next day was a special Sabbath. In order to avoid leaving the bodies on the cross during the Sabbath, the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies removed.\n 32. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and those of the other.\n 33. But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.\n 34. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out.\n 35. The one who saw it has testified, and his testimony is true. He knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe.\n 36. Now these things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of His bones will be broken.”\n 37. And, as another Scripture says: “They will look on the One they have pierced.”\n 38. After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus (but secretly for fear of the Jews), asked Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission, so he came and removed His body.\n 39. Nicodemus, who had previously come to Jesus at night, also brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.\n 40. So they took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in linen cloths with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom.\n 41. Now there was a garden in the place where Jesus was crucified, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.\n 42. And because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.\n\n### Stands out\n\n### Means\n\n### For me\n\n### Prayer\n\n---\n\n## Prayer Requests\n\n- [ ] \u003cname\u003e — \u003crequest\u003e\n\n### Answered / Updates\n\n- \u003cfollow-ups from previous weeks\u003e\n\n## Meeting Notes\n\n\u003cwhat the group discussed, insights from others\u003e\n", "summary": "!!! quote \"Psalm 119:9, 11\"", "date_published": "2026-09-25T06:00:00Z", "date_modified": "2026-09-25T06:00:00Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "olivet", "faith", "mens-group" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/olivet-mens-group-2026-week-35/", "url": "https://pype.dev/olivet-mens-group-2026-week-35/", "title": "Men’s Group - Week 35", "content_html": "\u003ch1 id=\"week-35-september-13-19-2026\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eWeek 35 — September 13 – 19, 2026\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"meeting-friday-september-18\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMeeting: Friday, September 18\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#meeting-friday-september-18\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"memory-verse-hebrews-2-18\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMemory Verse: Hebrews 2:18\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#memory-verse-hebrews-2-18\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eHebrews 2:18\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col start=\"18\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBecause He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"readings\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eReadings\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#readings\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cinput disabled=\"\" type=\"checkbox\"\u003e Day 1: John 11\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cinput disabled=\"\" type=\"checkbox\"\u003e Day 2: Matthew 21:1-13\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cinput disabled=\"\" type=\"checkbox\"\u003e Day 3: John 13\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cinput disabled=\"\" type=\"checkbox\"\u003e Day 4: John 14-15\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cinput disabled=\"\" type=\"checkbox\"\u003e Day 5: John 16, Matthew 24:1-31\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"day-1-john-11\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDay 1 — John 11\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#day-1-john-11\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJohn 11\u003c/summary\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAt this time a man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e(Mary, whose brother Lazarus was sick, was to anoint the Lord with perfume and wipe His feet with her hair.)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one You love is sick.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNow Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo on hearing that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was for two days,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eand then He said to the disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“Rabbi,” they replied, “the Jews just tried to stone You, and You are going back there?”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? If anyone walks in the daytime, he will not stumble, because he sees by the light of this world.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut if anyone walks at night, he will stumble, because he has no light.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAfter He had said this, He told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHis disciples replied, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will get better.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThey thought that Jesus was talking about actual sleep, but He was speaking about the death of Lazarus.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eand for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen Thomas called Didymus said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen Jesus arrived, He found that Lazarus had already spent four days in the tomb.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNow Bethany was near Jerusalem, a little less than two miles away,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eand many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them in the loss of their brother.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet Him, but Mary stayed at home.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMartha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut even now I know that God will give You whatever You ask of Him.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“Your brother will rise again,” Jesus told her.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMartha replied, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“Yes, Lord,” she answered, “I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAfter Martha had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside to tell her, “The Teacher is here and is asking for you.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd when Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to Him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNow Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met Him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen the Jews who were in the house consoling Mary saw how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen Mary came to Jesus and saw Him, she fell at His feet and said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“Where have you put him?” He asked.\n“Come and see, Lord,” they answered.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus wept.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut some of them asked, “Could not this man who opened the eyes of the blind also have kept Lazarus from dying?”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus, once again deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“Take away the stone,” Jesus said.\n“Lord, by now he stinks,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man. “It has already been four days.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus replied, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo they took away the stone. Then Jesus lifted His eyes upward and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI knew that You always hear Me, but I say this for the benefit of the people standing here, so they may believe that You sent Me.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAfter Jesus had said this, He called out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe man who had been dead came out with his hands and feet bound in strips of linen, and his face wrapped in a cloth.\n“Unwrap him and let him go,” Jesus told them.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTherefore many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in Him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen the chief priests and Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCaiaphas did not say this on his own. Instead, as high priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus would die for the nation,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eand not only for the nation, but also for the scattered children of God, to gather them together into one.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo from that day on they plotted to kill Him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAs a result, Jesus no longer went about publicly among the Jews, but He withdrew to a town called Ephraim in an area near the wilderness. And He stayed there with the disciples.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNow the Jewish Passover was near, and many people went up from the country to Jerusalem to purify themselves before the Passover.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThey kept looking for Jesus and asking one another as they stood in the temple courts, “What do you think? Will He come to the feast at all?”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut the chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where He was must report it, so that they could arrest Him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c/details\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"stands-out\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eStands out\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#stands-out\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMartha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen Mary came to Jesus and saw Him, she fell at His feet and said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"means\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMeans\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#means\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe think we know what would have happened\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"for-me\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eFor me\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#for-me\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy ebenezeer page feels relevant when thinking about waiting on the Lord\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePsalm 40:1–2 (LEB)\u003c/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 I waited patiently for Yahweh, And he inclined to me and heard my cry for help.\n2 And so he brought me up from the roaring pit, from the miry clay. And he put my feet upon a rock; he made my steps steady.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/details\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"prayer\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003ePrayer\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#prayer\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"day-2-matthew-21-1-13\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDay 2 — Matthew 21:1-13\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#day-2-matthew-21-1-13\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eMatthew 21:1-13\u003c/summary\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAs they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent out two disciples,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003esaying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt beside her. Untie them and bring them to Me.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf anyone questions you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThis took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“Say to the Daughter of Zion,\n‘See, your King comes to you,\ngentle and riding on a donkey,\non a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThey brought the donkey and the colt and laid their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA massive crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting:\n“Hosanna to the Son of David!”\n“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”\n“Hosanna in the highest!”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen Jesus had entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe crowds replied, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’ ”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c/details\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"stands-out-1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eStands out\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#stands-out-1\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"means-1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMeans\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#means-1\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"for-me-1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eFor me\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#for-me-1\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"prayer-1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003ePrayer\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#prayer-1\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"day-3-john-13\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDay 3 — John 13\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#day-3-john-13\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJohn 13\u003c/summary\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt was now just before the Passover Feast, and Jesus knew that His hour had come to leave this world and return to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the very end.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe evening meal was underway, and the devil had already put into the heart of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus knew that the Father had delivered all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was returning to God.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo He got up from the supper, laid aside His outer garments, and wrapped a towel around His waist.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAfter that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel that was around Him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe came to Simon Peter, who asked Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“Never shall You wash my feet!” Peter told Him.\nJesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not only my feet, but my hands and my head as well!”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus told him, “Whoever has already bathed needs only to wash his feet, and he will be completely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor He knew who would betray Him. That is why He said, “Not all of you are clean.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen Jesus had washed their feet and put on His outer garments, He reclined with them again and asked, “Do you know what I have done for you?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou call Me Teacher and Lord, and rightly so, because I am.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI have set you an example so that you should do as I have done for you.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTruly, truly, I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI am not speaking about all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the Scripture: ‘The one who shares My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.’\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI am telling you now before it happens, so that when it comes to pass, you will believe that I am He.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTruly, truly, I tell you, whoever receives the one I send receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives the One who sent Me.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAfter Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit and testified, “Truly, truly, I tell you, one of you will betray Me.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe disciples looked at one another, perplexed as to which of them He meant.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOne of His disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was reclining at His side.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus which one He was talking about.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLeaning back against Jesus, he asked, “Lord, who is it?”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this morsel after I have dipped it.” Then He dipped the morsel and gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd when Judas had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him.\nThen Jesus said to Judas, “What you are about to do, do quickly.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut no one at the table knew why Jesus had said this to him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSince Judas kept the money bag, some thought that Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the feast, or to give something to the poor.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAs soon as he had received the morsel, Judas went out into the night.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen Judas had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify the Son in Himself—and will glorify Him at once.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLittle children, I am with you only a little while longer. You will look for Me, and as I said to the Jews, so now I say to you: ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBy this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“Lord, where are You going?” Simon Peter asked.\nJesus answered, “Where I am going, you cannot follow Me now, but you will follow later.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“Lord,” said Peter, “why can’t I follow You now? I will lay down my life for You.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“Will you lay down your life for Me?” Jesus replied. “Truly, truly, I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c/details\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"stands-out-2\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eStands out\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#stands-out-2\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003e6. He came to Simon Peter, who asked Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?”\n7. Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”\n8. “Never shall You wash my feet!” Peter told Him.\nJesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.”\n9. “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not only my feet, but my hands and my head as well!”\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"means-2\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMeans\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#means-2\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"for-me-2\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eFor me\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#for-me-2\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"prayer-2\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003ePrayer\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#prayer-2\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"day-4-john-14-15\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDay 4 — John 14-15\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#day-4-john-14-15\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJohn 14\u003c/summary\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIn My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou know the way to the place where I am going. ”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“Lord,” said Thomas, “we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf you had known Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePhilip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus replied, “Philip, I have been with you all this time, and still you do not know Me? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDo you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I say to you, I do not speak on My own. Instead, it is the Father dwelling in Me, performing His works.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBelieve Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me—or at least believe on account of the works themselves.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTruly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I am doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf you ask Me for anything in My name, I will do it.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf you love Me, you will keep My commandments.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ethe Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIn a little while the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you also will live.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOn that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJudas (not Iscariot) asked Him, “Lord, why are You going to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus replied, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhoever does not love Me does not keep My words. The word that you hear is not My own, but it is from the Father who sent Me.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAll this I have spoken to you while I am still with you.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou heard Me say, ‘I am going away, and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd now I have told you before it happens, so that when it does happen, you will believe.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming, and he has no claim on Me.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut I do exactly what the Father has commanded Me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.\nGet up! Let us go on from here.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJohn 15\u003c/summary\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRemain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThis is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, proving yourselves to be My disciples.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAs the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Remain in My love.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI have told you these things so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThis is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGreater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou are My friends if you do what I command you.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNo longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will remain—so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThis is My command to you: Love one another.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRemember the word that I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept My word, they will keep yours as well.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut they will treat you like this because of My name, since they do not know the One who sent Me.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhoever hates Me hates My Father as well.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have seen and hated both Me and My Father.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated Me without reason.’\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd you also must testify, because you have been with Me from the beginning.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c/details\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"stands-out-3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eStands out\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#stands-out-3\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"means-3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMeans\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#means-3\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"for-me-3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eFor me\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#for-me-3\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"prayer-3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003ePrayer\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#prayer-3\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"day-5-john-16-matthew-24-1-31\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDay 5 — John 16 \u0026amp; Matthew 24:1-31\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#day-5-john-16-matthew-24-1-31\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJohn 16\u003c/summary\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“I have told you these things so that you will not fall away.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThey will put you out of the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThey will do these things because they have not known the Father or Me.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut I have told you these things so that when their hour comes, you will remember that I told you about them. I did not tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNow, however, I am going to Him who sent Me; yet none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInstead, your hearts are filled with sorrow because I have told you these things.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut I tell you the truth, it is for your benefit that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd when He comes, He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ein regard to sin, because they do not believe in Me;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ein regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see Me;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eand in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world has been condemned.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI still have much to tell you, but you cannot yet bear to hear it.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHowever, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEverything that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said that the Spirit will take from what is Mine and disclose it to you.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIn a little while you will see Me no more, and then after a little while you will see Me. ”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen some of His disciples asked one another, “Why is He telling us, ‘In a little while you will not see Me, and then after a little while you will see Me’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThey kept asking, “Why is He saying, ‘a little while’? We do not understand what He is saying.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAware that they wanted to question Him, Jesus said to them, “Are you asking one another why I said, ‘In a little while you will not see Me, and then after a little while you will see Me’?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTruly, truly, I tell you, you will weep and wail while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA woman has pain in childbirth because her time has come; but when she brings forth her child, she forgets her anguish because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIn that day you will no longer ask Me anything. Truly, truly, I tell you, whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUntil now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. An hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you this way, but will tell you plainly about the Father.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIn that day you will ask in My name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from God.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI came from the Father and entered the world. In turn, I will leave the world and go to the Father.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHis disciples said, “See, now You are speaking plainly and without figures of speech.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNow we understand that You know all things and that You have no need for anyone to question You. Because of this, we believe that You came from God.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“Do you finally believe?” Jesus replied.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“Look, an hour is coming and has already come when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and you will leave Me all alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eMatthew 24:1-31\u003c/summary\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAs Jesus left the temple and was walking away, His disciples came up to Him to point out its buildings.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“Do you see all these things?” He replied. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhile Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus answered, “See to it that no one deceives you.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAll these are the beginning of birth pains.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen they will deliver you over to be persecuted and killed, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAt that time many will fall away and will betray and hate one another,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eand many false prophets will arise and deceive many.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBecause of the multiplication of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand),\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ethen let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLet no one on the housetop come down to retrieve anything from his house.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd let no one in the field return for his cloak.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHow miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePray that your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor at that time there will be great tribulation, unseen from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAt that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive even the elect, if that were possible.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSee, I have told you in advance.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo if they tell you, ‘There He is, in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Here He is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eImmediately after the tribulation of those days:\n‘The sun will be darkened,\nand the moon will not give its light;\nthe stars will fall from the sky,\nand the powers of the heavens will be shaken.\n’\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAt that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c/details\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"stands-out-4\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eStands out\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#stands-out-4\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"means-4\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMeans\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#means-4\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"for-me-4\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eFor me\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#for-me-4\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"prayer-4\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003ePrayer\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#prayer-4\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"prayer-requests\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003ePrayer Requests\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#prayer-requests\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cinput disabled=\"\" type=\"checkbox\"\u003e \u003cname\u003e — \u003crequest\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"answered-updates\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eAnswered / Updates\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#answered-updates\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cfollow-ups from previous weeks\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"meeting-notes\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMeeting Notes\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#meeting-notes\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI read some of John 12 the morning of the meeting, not on our list but Judas\u0026rsquo; posture towards the espensive nard that Mary used to annoint is hilarious to me - very commie \u0026ldquo;why wasn\u0026rsquo;t this thing of mine used for someone else NOT sold and the money given to me to distribute to others as I see fit\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n# Week 35 — September 13 – 19, 2026\n\n### Meeting: Friday, September 18\n\n### Memory Verse: Hebrews 2:18\n\n!!! quote \"Hebrews 2:18\"\n\n 18. Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.\n\n## Readings\n\n- [ ] Day 1: John 11\n- [ ] Day 2: Matthew 21:1-13\n- [ ] Day 3: John 13\n- [ ] Day 4: John 14-15\n- [ ] Day 5: John 16, Matthew 24:1-31\n\n---\n\n## Day 1 — John 11\n\n??? quote \"John 11\"\n\n 1. At this time a man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.\n 2. (Mary, whose brother Lazarus was sick, was to anoint the Lord with perfume and wipe His feet with her hair.)\n 3. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one You love is sick.”\n 4. When Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”\n 5. Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.\n 6. So on hearing that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was for two days,\n 7. and then He said to the disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”\n 8. “Rabbi,” they replied, “the Jews just tried to stone You, and You are going back there?”\n 9. Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? If anyone walks in the daytime, he will not stumble, because he sees by the light of this world.\n 10. But if anyone walks at night, he will stumble, because he has no light.”\n 11. After He had said this, He told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up.”\n 12. His disciples replied, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will get better.”\n 13. They thought that Jesus was talking about actual sleep, but He was speaking about the death of Lazarus.\n 14. So Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead,\n 15. and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”\n 16. Then Thomas called Didymus said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.”\n 17. When Jesus arrived, He found that Lazarus had already spent four days in the tomb.\n 18. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, a little less than two miles away,\n 19. and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them in the loss of their brother.\n 20. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet Him, but Mary stayed at home.\n 21. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.\n 22. But even now I know that God will give You whatever You ask of Him.”\n 23. “Your brother will rise again,” Jesus told her.\n 24. Martha replied, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”\n 25. Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies.\n 26. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”\n 27. “Yes, Lord,” she answered, “I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”\n 28. After Martha had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside to tell her, “The Teacher is here and is asking for you.”\n 29. And when Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to Him.\n 30. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met Him.\n 31. When the Jews who were in the house consoling Mary saw how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.\n 32. When Mary came to Jesus and saw Him, she fell at His feet and said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”\n 33. When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.\n 34. “Where have you put him?” He asked.\n “Come and see, Lord,” they answered.\n 35. Jesus wept.\n 36. Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”\n 37. But some of them asked, “Could not this man who opened the eyes of the blind also have kept Lazarus from dying?”\n 38. Jesus, once again deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.\n 39. “Take away the stone,” Jesus said.\n “Lord, by now he stinks,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man. “It has already been four days.”\n 40. Jesus replied, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”\n 41. So they took away the stone. Then Jesus lifted His eyes upward and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.\n 42. I knew that You always hear Me, but I say this for the benefit of the people standing here, so they may believe that You sent Me.”\n 43. After Jesus had said this, He called out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”\n 44. The man who had been dead came out with his hands and feet bound in strips of linen, and his face wrapped in a cloth.\n “Unwrap him and let him go,” Jesus told them.\n 45. Therefore many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in Him.\n 46. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.\n 47. Then the chief priests and Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs.\n 48. If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”\n 49. But one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all!\n 50. You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”\n 51. Caiaphas did not say this on his own. Instead, as high priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus would die for the nation,\n 52. and not only for the nation, but also for the scattered children of God, to gather them together into one.\n 53. So from that day on they plotted to kill Him.\n 54. As a result, Jesus no longer went about publicly among the Jews, but He withdrew to a town called Ephraim in an area near the wilderness. And He stayed there with the disciples.\n 55. Now the Jewish Passover was near, and many people went up from the country to Jerusalem to purify themselves before the Passover.\n 56. They kept looking for Jesus and asking one another as they stood in the temple courts, “What do you think? Will He come to the feast at all?”\n 57. But the chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where He was must report it, so that they could arrest Him.\n\n### Stands out\n\n1. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.\n2. When Mary came to Jesus and saw Him, she fell at His feet and said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”\n\n### Means\n\nWe think we know what would have happened\n\n### For me\n\nMy ebenezeer page feels relevant when thinking about waiting on the Lord\n\n??? quote \"Psalm 40:1–2 (LEB)\"\n\n 1 I waited patiently for Yahweh, And he inclined to me and heard my cry for help.\n 2 And so he brought me up from the roaring pit, from the miry clay. And he put my feet upon a rock; he made my steps steady.\n\n### Prayer\n\n## Day 2 — Matthew 21:1-13\n\n??? quote \"Matthew 21:1-13\"\n\n 1. As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent out two disciples,\n 2. saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt beside her. Untie them and bring them to Me.\n 3. If anyone questions you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”\n 4. This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:\n 5. “Say to the Daughter of Zion,\n ‘See, your King comes to you,\n gentle and riding on a donkey,\n on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”\n 6. So the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.\n 7. They brought the donkey and the colt and laid their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them.\n 8. A massive crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.\n 9. The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting:\n “Hosanna to the Son of David!”\n “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”\n “Hosanna in the highest!”\n 10. When Jesus had entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”\n 11. The crowds replied, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”\n 12. Then Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves.\n 13. And He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’ ”\n\n### Stands out\n\n### Means\n\n### For me\n\n### Prayer\n\n## Day 3 — John 13\n\n??? quote \"John 13\"\n\n 1. It was now just before the Passover Feast, and Jesus knew that His hour had come to leave this world and return to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the very end.\n 2. The evening meal was underway, and the devil had already put into the heart of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.\n 3. Jesus knew that the Father had delivered all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was returning to God.\n 4. So He got up from the supper, laid aside His outer garments, and wrapped a towel around His waist.\n 5. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel that was around Him.\n 6. He came to Simon Peter, who asked Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?”\n 7. Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”\n 8. “Never shall You wash my feet!” Peter told Him.\n Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.”\n 9. “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not only my feet, but my hands and my head as well!”\n 10. Jesus told him, “Whoever has already bathed needs only to wash his feet, and he will be completely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.”\n 11. For He knew who would betray Him. That is why He said, “Not all of you are clean.”\n 12. When Jesus had washed their feet and put on His outer garments, He reclined with them again and asked, “Do you know what I have done for you?\n 13. You call Me Teacher and Lord, and rightly so, because I am.\n 14. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.\n 15. I have set you an example so that you should do as I have done for you.\n 16. Truly, truly, I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.\n 17. If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.\n 18. I am not speaking about all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the Scripture: ‘The one who shares My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.’\n 19. I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it comes to pass, you will believe that I am He.\n 20. Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever receives the one I send receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives the One who sent Me.”\n 21. After Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit and testified, “Truly, truly, I tell you, one of you will betray Me.”\n 22. The disciples looked at one another, perplexed as to which of them He meant.\n 23. One of His disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was reclining at His side.\n 24. So Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus which one He was talking about.\n 25. Leaning back against Jesus, he asked, “Lord, who is it?”\n 26. Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this morsel after I have dipped it.” Then He dipped the morsel and gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot.\n 27. And when Judas had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him.\n Then Jesus said to Judas, “What you are about to do, do quickly.”\n 28. But no one at the table knew why Jesus had said this to him.\n 29. Since Judas kept the money bag, some thought that Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the feast, or to give something to the poor.\n 30. As soon as he had received the morsel, Judas went out into the night.\n 31. When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him.\n 32. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify the Son in Himself—and will glorify Him at once.\n 33. Little children, I am with you only a little while longer. You will look for Me, and as I said to the Jews, so now I say to you: ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’\n 34. A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.\n 35. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”\n 36. “Lord, where are You going?” Simon Peter asked.\n Jesus answered, “Where I am going, you cannot follow Me now, but you will follow later.”\n 37. “Lord,” said Peter, “why can’t I follow You now? I will lay down my life for You.”\n 38. “Will you lay down your life for Me?” Jesus replied. “Truly, truly, I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.\n\n### Stands out\n\n 6. He came to Simon Peter, who asked Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?”\n 7. Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”\n 8. “Never shall You wash my feet!” Peter told Him.\n Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.”\n 9. “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not only my feet, but my hands and my head as well!”\n\n### Means\n\n### For me\n\n### Prayer\n\n## Day 4 — John 14-15\n\n??? quote \"John 14\"\n\n 1. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well.\n 2. In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?\n 3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am.\n 4. You know the way to the place where I am going. ”\n 5. “Lord,” said Thomas, “we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?”\n 6. Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.\n 7. If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”\n 8. Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”\n 9. Jesus replied, “Philip, I have been with you all this time, and still you do not know Me? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?\n 10. Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I say to you, I do not speak on My own. Instead, it is the Father dwelling in Me, performing His works.\n 11. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me—or at least believe on account of the works themselves.\n 12. Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I am doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.\n 13. And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.\n 14. If you ask Me for anything in My name, I will do it.\n 15. If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.\n 16. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—\n 17. the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you.\n 18. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.\n 19. In a little while the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you also will live.\n 20. On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.\n 21. Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.”\n 22. Judas (not Iscariot) asked Him, “Lord, why are You going to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?”\n 23. Jesus replied, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.\n 24. Whoever does not love Me does not keep My words. The word that you hear is not My own, but it is from the Father who sent Me.\n 25. All this I have spoken to you while I am still with you.\n 26. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you.\n 27. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.\n 28. You heard Me say, ‘I am going away, and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I.\n 29. And now I have told you before it happens, so that when it does happen, you will believe.\n 30. I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming, and he has no claim on Me.\n 31. But I do exactly what the Father has commanded Me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.\n Get up! Let us go on from here.\n\n??? quote \"John 15\"\n\n 1. “I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard.\n 2. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful.\n 3. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.\n 4. Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.\n 5. I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.\n 6. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned.\n 7. If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.\n 8. This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, proving yourselves to be My disciples.\n 9. As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Remain in My love.\n 10. If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.\n 11. I have told you these things so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.\n 12. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.\n 13. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.\n 14. You are My friends if you do what I command you.\n 15. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you.\n 16. You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will remain—so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.\n 17. This is My command to you: Love one another.\n 18. If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first.\n 19. If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.\n 20. Remember the word that I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept My word, they will keep yours as well.\n 21. But they will treat you like this because of My name, since they do not know the One who sent Me.\n 22. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin.\n 23. Whoever hates Me hates My Father as well.\n 24. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have seen and hated both Me and My Father.\n 25. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated Me without reason.’\n 26. When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me.\n 27. And you also must testify, because you have been with Me from the beginning.\n\n### Stands out\n\n### Means\n\n### For me\n\n### Prayer\n\n## Day 5 — John 16 \u0026 Matthew 24:1-31\n\n??? quote \"John 16\"\n\n 1. “I have told you these things so that you will not fall away.\n 2. They will put you out of the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.\n 3. They will do these things because they have not known the Father or Me.\n 4. But I have told you these things so that when their hour comes, you will remember that I told you about them. I did not tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.\n 5. Now, however, I am going to Him who sent Me; yet none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’\n 6. Instead, your hearts are filled with sorrow because I have told you these things.\n 7. But I tell you the truth, it is for your benefit that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.\n 8. And when He comes, He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:\n 9. in regard to sin, because they do not believe in Me;\n 10. in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see Me;\n 11. and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world has been condemned.\n 12. I still have much to tell you, but you cannot yet bear to hear it.\n 13. However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come.\n 14. He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you.\n 15. Everything that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said that the Spirit will take from what is Mine and disclose it to you.\n 16. In a little while you will see Me no more, and then after a little while you will see Me. ”\n 17. Then some of His disciples asked one another, “Why is He telling us, ‘In a little while you will not see Me, and then after a little while you will see Me’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?”\n 18. They kept asking, “Why is He saying, ‘a little while’? We do not understand what He is saying.”\n 19. Aware that they wanted to question Him, Jesus said to them, “Are you asking one another why I said, ‘In a little while you will not see Me, and then after a little while you will see Me’?\n 20. Truly, truly, I tell you, you will weep and wail while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.\n 21. A woman has pain in childbirth because her time has come; but when she brings forth her child, she forgets her anguish because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.\n 22. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.\n 23. In that day you will no longer ask Me anything. Truly, truly, I tell you, whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.\n 24. Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.\n 25. I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. An hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you this way, but will tell you plainly about the Father.\n 26. In that day you will ask in My name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf.\n 27. For the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from God.\n 28. I came from the Father and entered the world. In turn, I will leave the world and go to the Father.”\n 29. His disciples said, “See, now You are speaking plainly and without figures of speech.\n 30. Now we understand that You know all things and that You have no need for anyone to question You. Because of this, we believe that You came from God.”\n 31. “Do you finally believe?” Jesus replied.\n 32. “Look, an hour is coming and has already come when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and you will leave Me all alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.\n 33. I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!”\n\n??? quote \"Matthew 24:1-31\"\n\n 1. As Jesus left the temple and was walking away, His disciples came up to Him to point out its buildings.\n 2. “Do you see all these things?” He replied. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”\n 3. While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”\n 4. Jesus answered, “See to it that no one deceives you.\n 5. For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.\n 6. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.\n 7. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.\n 8. All these are the beginning of birth pains.\n 9. Then they will deliver you over to be persecuted and killed, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.\n 10. At that time many will fall away and will betray and hate one another,\n 11. and many false prophets will arise and deceive many.\n 12. Because of the multiplication of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.\n 13. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.\n 14. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.\n 15. So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand),\n 16. then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.\n 17. Let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve anything from his house.\n 18. And let no one in the field return for his cloak.\n 19. How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers!\n 20. Pray that your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath.\n 21. For at that time there will be great tribulation, unseen from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again.\n 22. If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.\n 23. At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it.\n 24. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive even the elect, if that were possible.\n 25. See, I have told you in advance.\n 26. So if they tell you, ‘There He is, in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Here He is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.\n 27. For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.\n 28. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.\n 29. Immediately after the tribulation of those days:\n ‘The sun will be darkened,\n and the moon will not give its light;\n the stars will fall from the sky,\n and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.\n ’\n 30. At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.\n 31. And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.\n\n### Stands out\n\n### Means\n\n### For me\n\n### Prayer\n\n---\n\n## Prayer Requests\n\n- [ ] \u003cname\u003e — \u003crequest\u003e\n\n### Answered / Updates\n\n- \u003cfollow-ups from previous weeks\u003e\n\n## Meeting Notes\n\nI read some of John 12 the morning of the meeting, not on our list but Judas' posture towards the espensive nard that Mary used to annoint is hilarious to me - very commie \"why wasn't this thing of mine used for someone else NOT sold and the money given to me to distribute to others as I see fit\"\n", "summary": "!!! quote \"Hebrews 2:18\"", "date_published": "2026-09-18T06:00:00Z", "date_modified": "2026-09-18T06:00:00Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "olivet", "faith", "mens-group" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/olivet-mens-group-2026-week-34/", "url": "https://pype.dev/olivet-mens-group-2026-week-34/", "title": "Men’s Group - Week 34", "content_html": "\u003ch1 id=\"week-34-september-6-12-2026\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eWeek 34 — September 6 – 12, 2026\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"meeting-friday-september-11\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMeeting: Friday, September 11\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#meeting-friday-september-11\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"memory-verse-philippians-4-19\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMemory Verse: Philippians 4:19\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#memory-verse-philippians-4-19\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePhilippians 4:19\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col start=\"19\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"readings\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eReadings\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#readings\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cinput disabled=\"\" type=\"checkbox\"\u003e Day 1: John 6\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cinput disabled=\"\" type=\"checkbox\"\u003e Day 2: Matthew 19:16-30\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cinput disabled=\"\" type=\"checkbox\"\u003e Day 3: Luke 15-16\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cinput disabled=\"\" type=\"checkbox\"\u003e Day 4: Luke 17:11-37\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cinput disabled=\"\" type=\"checkbox\"\u003e Day 5: Mark 10\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"day-1-john-6\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDay 1 — John 6\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#day-1-john-6\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJohn 6\u003c/summary\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAfter this, Jesus crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA large crowd followed Him because they saw the signs He was performing on the sick.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen Jesus went up on the mountain and sat down with His disciples.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNow the Jewish Feast of the Passover was near.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen Jesus looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward Him, He said to Philip, \u0026ldquo;Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut He was asking this to test him, for He knew what He was about to do.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePhilip answered, \u0026ldquo;Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a small piece.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOne of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter\u0026rsquo;s brother, said to Him,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;Here is a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish. But what difference will these make among so many?\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;Have the people sit down,\u0026rdquo; Jesus said. Now there was plenty of grass in that place, so the men sat down, about five thousand of them.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen Jesus took the loaves and the fish, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd when everyone was full, He said to His disciples, \u0026ldquo;Gather the pieces that are left over, so that nothing will be wasted.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen the people saw the sign that Jesus had performed, they began to say, \u0026ldquo;Truly this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen Jesus, realizing that they were about to come and make Him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by Himself.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen evening came, His disciples went down to the sea,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003egot into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was already dark, and Jesus had not yet gone out to them.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA strong wind was blowing, and the sea grew agitated.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the sea—and they were terrified.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut Jesus spoke up: \u0026ldquo;It is I; do not be afraid.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen they were willing to take Him into the boat, and at once the boat reached the shore where they were heading.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe next day, the crowd that had remained on the other side of the sea realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not boarded it with His disciples, but they had gone away alone.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHowever, some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum to look for Him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen they found Him on the other side of the sea, they asked Him, \u0026ldquo;Rabbi, when did You get here?\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus replied, \u0026ldquo;Truly, truly, I tell you, it is not because you saw these signs that you are looking for Me, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDo not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen they inquired, \u0026ldquo;What must we do to perform the works of God?\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus replied, \u0026ldquo;The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo they asked Him, \u0026ldquo;What sign then will You perform, so that we may see it and believe You? What will You do?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOur fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written: \u0026lsquo;He gave them bread from heaven to eat.\u0026rsquo;\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus said to them, \u0026ldquo;Truly, truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;Sir,\u0026rdquo; they said, \u0026ldquo;give us this bread at all times.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus answered, \u0026ldquo;I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut as I stated, you have seen Me and still you do not believe.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEveryone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never drive away.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of those He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor it is My Father\u0026rsquo;s will that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAt this, the Jews began to grumble about Jesus because He had said, \u0026ldquo;I am the bread that came down from heaven.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThey were asking, \u0026ldquo;Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then can He say, \u0026lsquo;I have come down from heaven?\u0026rsquo;\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;Stop grumbling among yourselves,\u0026rdquo; Jesus replied.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt is written in the Prophets: \u0026lsquo;And they will all be taught by God.\u0026rsquo; Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from Him comes to Me—\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003enot that anyone has seen the Father except the One who is from God; only He has seen the Father.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTruly, truly, I tell you, he who believes has eternal life.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI am the bread of life.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYour fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThis is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and not die.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And this bread, which I will give for the life of the world, is My flesh.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAt this, the Jews began to argue among themselves, \u0026ldquo;How can this man give us His flesh to eat?\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo Jesus said to them, \u0026ldquo;Truly, truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, you have no life in you.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor My flesh is real food, and My blood is real drink.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJust as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThis is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your fathers, who ate the manna and died, the one who eats this bread will live forever.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOn hearing it, many of His disciples said, \u0026ldquo;This is a difficult teaching. Who can accept it?\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAware that His disciples were grumbling about this teaching, Jesus asked them, \u0026ldquo;Does this offend you?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen what will happen if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHowever, there are some of you who do not believe.\u0026rdquo; (For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray Him.)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen Jesus said, \u0026ldquo;This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has granted it to him.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrom that time on many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo Jesus asked the Twelve, \u0026ldquo;Do you want to leave too?\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSimon Peter replied, \u0026ldquo;Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWe believe and know that You are the Holy One of God.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus answered them, \u0026ldquo;Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe was speaking about Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. For although Judas was one of the Twelve, he was later to betray Jesus.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c/details\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"day-2-matthew-19-16-30\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDay 2 — Matthew 19:16-30\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#day-2-matthew-19-16-30\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eMatthew 19:16-30\u003c/summary\u003e\n\u003col start=\"16\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJust then a man came up to Jesus and inquired, \u0026ldquo;Teacher, what good thing must I do to obtain eternal life?\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;Why do you ask Me about what is good?\u0026rdquo; Jesus replied. \u0026ldquo;There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;Which ones?\u0026rdquo; the man asked.\nJesus answered, \u0026ldquo;\u0026lsquo;Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ehonor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.\u0026rsquo;\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;All these I have kept,\u0026rdquo; said the young man. \u0026ldquo;What do I still lack?\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus told him, \u0026ldquo;If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen the young man heard this, he went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen Jesus said to His disciples, \u0026ldquo;Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAgain I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, \u0026ldquo;Who then can be saved?\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus looked at them and said, \u0026ldquo;With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;Look,\u0026rdquo; Peter replied, \u0026ldquo;we have left everything to follow You. What then will there be for us?\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus said to them, \u0026ldquo;Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for the sake of My name will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c/details\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"day-3-luke-15-16\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDay 3 — Luke 15-16\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#day-3-luke-15-16\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eLuke 15\u003c/summary\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNow all the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around to listen to Jesus.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo the Pharisees and scribes began to grumble: \u0026ldquo;This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen Jesus told them this parable:\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ecomes home, and calls together his friends and neighbors to tell them, \u0026lsquo;Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep!\u0026rsquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI tell you that in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who do not need to repent.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOr what woman who has ten silver coins and loses one of them does not light a lamp, sweep her house, and search carefully until she finds it?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd when she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors to say, \u0026lsquo;Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost coin.\u0026rsquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIn the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God\u0026rsquo;s angels over one sinner who repents.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen Jesus said, \u0026ldquo;There was a man who had two sons.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe younger son said to him, \u0026lsquo;Father, give me my share of the estate.\u0026rsquo; So he divided his property between them.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAfter a few days, the younger son got everything together and journeyed to a distant country, where he squandered his wealth in wild living.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAfter he had spent all he had, a severe famine swept through that country, and he began to be in need.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed the pigs.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe longed to fill his belly with the pods the pigs were eating, but no one would give him a thing.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFinally he came to his senses and said, \u0026lsquo;How many of my father\u0026rsquo;s hired servants have plenty of food, but here I am, starving to death!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI will get up and go back to my father and say to him, \u0026ldquo;Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.\u0026rdquo;\u0026rsquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe son declared, \u0026lsquo;Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.\u0026rsquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut the father said to his servants, \u0026lsquo;Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us feast and celebrate.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor this son of mine was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found!\u0026rsquo; So they began to celebrate.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMeanwhile the older son was in the field, and as he approached the house, he heard music and dancing.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo he called one of the servants and asked what was going on.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026lsquo;Your brother has returned,\u0026rsquo; he said, \u0026lsquo;and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has him back safe and sound.\u0026rsquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe older son became angry and refused to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut he answered his father, \u0026lsquo;Look, all these years I have served you and never disobeyed a commandment of yours. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut when this son of yours returns from squandering your wealth with prostitutes, you kill the fattened calf for him!\u0026rsquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026lsquo;Son, you are always with me,\u0026rsquo; the father said, \u0026lsquo;and all that is mine is yours.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut it was fitting to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.\u0026rsquo;\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eLuke 16\u003c/summary\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus also said to His disciples, \u0026ldquo;There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo he called him in to ask, \u0026lsquo;What is this I hear about you? Turn in an account of your management, for you cannot be manager any longer.\u0026rsquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe manager said to himself, \u0026lsquo;What shall I do, now that my master is taking away my position? I am too weak to dig and too ashamed to beg.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI know what I will do so that after my removal from management, people will welcome me into their homes.\u0026rsquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd he called in each one of his master\u0026rsquo;s debtors. \u0026lsquo;How much do you owe my master?\u0026rsquo; he asked the first.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026lsquo;A hundred measures of olive oil,\u0026rsquo; he answered.\n\u0026lsquo;Take your bill,\u0026rsquo; said the manager, \u0026lsquo;sit down quickly, and write fifty.\u0026rsquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen he asked another, \u0026lsquo;And how much do you owe?\u0026rsquo;\n\u0026lsquo;A hundred measures of wheat,\u0026rsquo; he replied.\n\u0026lsquo;Take your bill and write eighty,\u0026rsquo; he told him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the sons of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own \u003ca href=\"/kind/\" class=\"glossary-term\" title=\"kind - kubernetes in docker\" data-hover-title=\"kind\"\u003ekind\u003c/a\u003e than are the sons of light.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI tell you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves so that when it is gone, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd if you have not been faithful with the belongings of another, who will give you belongings of your own?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNo servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all of this and were scoffing at Jesus.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo He said to them, \u0026ldquo;You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the gospel of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNow there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, who lived each day in joyous splendor.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd a beggar named Lazarus lay at his gate, covered with sores\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eand longing to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man\u0026rsquo;s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOne day the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham\u0026rsquo;s side. And the rich man also died and was buried.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIn Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham from afar, with Lazarus by his side.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo he cried out, \u0026lsquo;Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. For I am in agony in this fire.\u0026rsquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut Abraham answered, \u0026lsquo;Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things. But now he is comforted here, while you are in agony.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that even those who wish cannot cross from here to you, nor can anyone cross from there to us.\u0026rsquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026lsquo;Then I beg you, father,\u0026rsquo; he said, \u0026lsquo;send Lazarus to my father\u0026rsquo;\u0026rsquo;s house,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003efor I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also end up in this place of torment.\u0026rsquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut Abraham replied, \u0026lsquo;They have Moses and the Prophets; let your brothers listen to them.\u0026rsquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026lsquo;No, father Abraham,\u0026rsquo; he said, \u0026lsquo;but if someone is sent to them from the dead, they will repent.\u0026rsquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen Abraham said to him, \u0026lsquo;If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.\u0026rsquo;\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c/details\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"day-4-luke-17-11-37\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDay 4 — Luke 17:11-37\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#day-4-luke-17-11-37\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eLuke 17:11-37\u003c/summary\u003e\n\u003col start=\"11\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhile Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem, He was passing between Samaria and Galilee.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAs He entered one of the villages, He was met by ten lepers. They stood at a distance\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eand raised their voices, shouting, \u0026ldquo;Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen Jesus saw them, He said, \u0026ldquo;Go, show yourselves to the priests.\u0026rdquo; And as they were on their way, they were cleansed.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen one of them saw that he was healed, he came back, praising God in a loud voice.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe fell facedown at Jesus\u0026rsquo; feet in thanksgiving to Him—and he was a Samaritan.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;Were not all ten cleansed?\u0026rdquo; Jesus asked. \u0026ldquo;Where then are the other nine?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWas no one found except this foreigner to return and give glory to God?\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen Jesus said to him, \u0026ldquo;Rise and go; your faith has made you well!\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, \u0026ldquo;The kingdom of God will not come with observable signs.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNor will people say, \u0026lsquo;Look, here it is,\u0026rsquo; or \u0026lsquo;There it is.\u0026rsquo; For you see, the kingdom of God is in your midst.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen He said to the disciples, \u0026ldquo;The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeople will tell you, \u0026lsquo;Look, there He is!\u0026rsquo; or \u0026lsquo;Look, here He is!\u0026rsquo; Do not go out or chase after them.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor just as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so will be the Son of Man in His day.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJust as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man:\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeople were eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt was the same in the days of Lot: People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut on the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt will be just like that on the day the Son of Man is revealed.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOn that day, let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve his possessions. Likewise, let no one in the field return for anything he has left behind.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRemember Lot\u0026rsquo;s wife!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed: one will be taken and the other left.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTwo women will be grinding grain together: one will be taken and the other left.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;Where, Lord?\u0026rdquo; they asked.\nJesus answered, \u0026ldquo;Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c/details\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"day-5-mark-10\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDay 5 — Mark 10\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#day-5-mark-10\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eMark 10\u003c/summary\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen Jesus left that place and went into the region of Judea, beyond the Jordan. Again the crowds came to Him and He taught them, as was His custom.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSome Pharisees came to test Him. \u0026ldquo;Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?\u0026rdquo; they inquired.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;What did Moses command you?\u0026rdquo; He replied.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThey answered, \u0026ldquo;Moses permitted a man to write his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut Jesus told them, \u0026ldquo;Moses wrote this commandment for you because of your hardness of heart.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHowever, from the beginning of creation, \u0026lsquo;God made them male and female.\u0026rsquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026lsquo;For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eand the two will become one flesh.\u0026rsquo; So they are no longer two, but one flesh.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTherefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen they were back inside the house, the disciples asked Jesus about this matter.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo He told them, \u0026ldquo;Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd if a woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNow people were bringing the little children to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them, and the disciples rebuked those who brought them.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and told them, \u0026ldquo;Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTruly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd He took the children in His arms, placed His hands on them, and blessed them.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAs Jesus started on His way, a man ran up and knelt before Him. \u0026ldquo;Good Teacher,\u0026rdquo; he asked, \u0026ldquo;what must I do to inherit eternal life?\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;Why do you call Me good?\u0026rdquo; Jesus replied. \u0026ldquo;No one is good except God alone.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou know the commandments: \u0026lsquo;Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not cheat others, honor your father and mother.\u0026rsquo;\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;Teacher,\u0026rdquo; he replied, \u0026ldquo;all these I have kept from my youth.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, \u0026ldquo;There is one thing you lack: Go, sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut the man was saddened by these words and went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, \u0026ldquo;How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd the disciples were amazed at His words.\nBut Jesus said to them again, \u0026ldquo;Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThey were even more astonished and said to one another, \u0026ldquo;Who then can be saved?\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus looked at them and said, \u0026ldquo;With man this is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeter began to say to Him, \u0026ldquo;Look, we have left everything and followed You.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;Truly I tell you,\u0026rdquo; Jesus replied, \u0026ldquo;no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for My sake and for the gospel\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ewill fail to receive a hundredfold in the present age—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, along with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAs they were going up the road to Jerusalem, Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were amazed, but those who followed were afraid. Again Jesus took the Twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him:\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn Him to death and will deliver Him over to the Gentiles,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ewho will mock Him and spit on Him and flog Him and kill Him. And after three days He will rise again.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThen James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and declared, \u0026ldquo;Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;What do you want Me to do for you?\u0026rdquo; He inquired.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThey answered, \u0026ldquo;Grant that one of us may sit at Your right hand and the other at Your left in Your glory.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;You do not know what you are asking,\u0026rdquo; Jesus replied. \u0026ldquo;Can you drink the cup I will drink, or be baptized with the baptism I will undergo?\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;We can,\u0026rdquo; the brothers answered.\n\u0026ldquo;You will drink the cup that I drink,\u0026rdquo; Jesus said, \u0026ldquo;and you will be baptized with the baptism that I undergo.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut to sit at My right or left is not Mine to grant. These seats belong to those for whom they have been prepared.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSo Jesus called them together and said, \u0026ldquo;You know that those regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBut it shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eand whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNext, they came to Jericho. And as Jesus and His disciples were leaving Jericho with a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting beside the road.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, \u0026ldquo;Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMany people admonished him to be silent, but he cried out all the louder, \u0026ldquo;Son of David, have mercy on me!\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus stopped and said, \u0026ldquo;Call him.\u0026rdquo;\nSo they called the blind man. \u0026ldquo;Take courage!\u0026rdquo; they said. \u0026ldquo;Get up! He is calling for you.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThrowing off his cloak, Bartimaeus jumped up and came to Jesus.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;What do you want Me to do for you?\u0026rdquo; Jesus asked.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;Rabboni,\u0026rdquo; said the blind man, \u0026ldquo;let me see again.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;Go,\u0026rdquo; said Jesus, \u0026ldquo;your faith has healed you.\u0026rdquo; And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c/details\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"weekly-journal\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eWeekly Journal\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#weekly-journal\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"stands-out\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eStands out\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#stands-out\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch4 id=\"day-1-john-6-1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDay 1 — John 6\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#day-1-john-6-1\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003e9. \u0026quot;Here is a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish. But what difference will these make among so many?\u0026quot;\n\n29. Jesus replied, \u0026quot;The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.\u0026quot;\n\n37. Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never drive away.\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003ch4 id=\"day-4-luke-17-11-37-1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDay 4 — Luke 17:11-37\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#day-4-luke-17-11-37-1\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003e14. When Jesus saw them, He said, \u0026quot;Go, show yourselves to the priests.\u0026quot; And as they were on their way, they were cleansed.\n15. When one of them saw that he was healed, he came back, praising God in a loud voice.\n16. He fell facedown at Jesus' feet in thanksgiving to Him—and he was a Samaritan.\n17. \u0026quot;Were not all ten cleansed?\u0026quot; Jesus asked. \u0026quot;Where then are the other nine?\n18. Was no one found except this foreigner to return and give glory to God?\u0026quot;\n19. Then Jesus said to him, \u0026quot;Rise and go; your faith has made you well!\u0026quot;\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"means\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMeans\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#means\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch4 id=\"day-1-john-6-2\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDay 1 — John 6\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#day-1-john-6-2\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eeverything comes from the Lord - God gives every single sgood thing in his own way.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 id=\"day-4-luke-17-11-37-2\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDay 4 — Luke 17:11-37\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#day-4-luke-17-11-37-2\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eObedience is a gift of faith - and a medium by which God works\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"for-me\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eFor me\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#for-me\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003ch4 id=\"day-4-luke-17-11-37-3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDay 4 — Luke 17:11-37\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#day-4-luke-17-11-37-3\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod\u0026rsquo;s blessing is within his sovereign will to pour out. He has clearly had so much favor on me\u0026hellip; why would I squandor it?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"prayer\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003ePrayer\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#prayer\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"prayer-requests\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003ePrayer Requests\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#prayer-requests\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cinput disabled=\"\" type=\"checkbox\"\u003e \u003cname\u003e — \u003crequest\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cinput disabled=\"\" type=\"checkbox\"\u003e \u003cname\u003e — \u003crequest\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"answered-updates\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eAnswered / Updates\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#answered-updates\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cfollow-ups from previous weeks\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"meeting-notes\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMeeting Notes\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#meeting-notes\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;what the group discussed, insights from others\u0026gt;\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n# Week 34 — September 6 – 12, 2026\n\n### Meeting: Friday, September 11\n\n### Memory Verse: Philippians 4:19\n\n!!! quote \"Philippians 4:19\"\n\n 19. And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.\n\n## Readings\n\n- [ ] Day 1: John 6\n- [ ] Day 2: Matthew 19:16-30\n- [ ] Day 3: Luke 15-16\n- [ ] Day 4: Luke 17:11-37\n- [ ] Day 5: Mark 10\n\n---\n\n## Day 1 — John 6\n\n??? quote \"John 6\"\n\n 1. After this, Jesus crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias).\n 2. A large crowd followed Him because they saw the signs He was performing on the sick.\n 3. Then Jesus went up on the mountain and sat down with His disciples.\n 4. Now the Jewish Feast of the Passover was near.\n 5. When Jesus looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward Him, He said to Philip, \"Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?\"\n 6. But He was asking this to test him, for He knew what He was about to do.\n 7. Philip answered, \"Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a small piece.\"\n 8. One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him,\n 9. \"Here is a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish. But what difference will these make among so many?\"\n 10. \"Have the people sit down,\" Jesus said. Now there was plenty of grass in that place, so the men sat down, about five thousand of them.\n 11. Then Jesus took the loaves and the fish, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted.\n 12. And when everyone was full, He said to His disciples, \"Gather the pieces that are left over, so that nothing will be wasted.\"\n 13. So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.\n 14. When the people saw the sign that Jesus had performed, they began to say, \"Truly this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.\"\n 15. Then Jesus, realizing that they were about to come and make Him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by Himself.\n 16. When evening came, His disciples went down to the sea,\n 17. got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was already dark, and Jesus had not yet gone out to them.\n 18. A strong wind was blowing, and the sea grew agitated.\n 19. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the sea—and they were terrified.\n 20. But Jesus spoke up: \"It is I; do not be afraid.\"\n 21. Then they were willing to take Him into the boat, and at once the boat reached the shore where they were heading.\n 22. The next day, the crowd that had remained on the other side of the sea realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not boarded it with His disciples, but they had gone away alone.\n 23. However, some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.\n 24. So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum to look for Him.\n 25. When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they asked Him, \"Rabbi, when did You get here?\"\n 26. Jesus replied, \"Truly, truly, I tell you, it is not because you saw these signs that you are looking for Me, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.\n 27. Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.\"\n 28. Then they inquired, \"What must we do to perform the works of God?\"\n 29. Jesus replied, \"The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.\"\n 30. So they asked Him, \"What sign then will You perform, so that we may see it and believe You? What will You do?\n 31. Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'\"\n 32. Jesus said to them, \"Truly, truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.\n 33. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.\"\n 34. \"Sir,\" they said, \"give us this bread at all times.\"\n 35. Jesus answered, \"I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst.\n 36. But as I stated, you have seen Me and still you do not believe.\n 37. Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never drive away.\n 38. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me.\n 39. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of those He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day.\n 40. For it is My Father's will that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.\"\n 41. At this, the Jews began to grumble about Jesus because He had said, \"I am the bread that came down from heaven.\"\n 42. They were asking, \"Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then can He say, 'I have come down from heaven?'\"\n 43. \"Stop grumbling among yourselves,\" Jesus replied.\n 44. \"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.\n 45. It is written in the Prophets: 'And they will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from Him comes to Me—\n 46. not that anyone has seen the Father except the One who is from God; only He has seen the Father.\n 47. Truly, truly, I tell you, he who believes has eternal life.\n 48. I am the bread of life.\n 49. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died.\n 50. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and not die.\n 51. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And this bread, which I will give for the life of the world, is My flesh.\"\n 52. At this, the Jews began to argue among themselves, \"How can this man give us His flesh to eat?\"\n 53. So Jesus said to them, \"Truly, truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, you have no life in you.\n 54. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.\n 55. For My flesh is real food, and My blood is real drink.\n 56. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him.\n 57. Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me.\n 58. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your fathers, who ate the manna and died, the one who eats this bread will live forever.\"\n 59. Jesus said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.\n 60. On hearing it, many of His disciples said, \"This is a difficult teaching. Who can accept it?\"\n 61. Aware that His disciples were grumbling about this teaching, Jesus asked them, \"Does this offend you?\n 62. Then what will happen if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before?\n 63. The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.\n 64. However, there are some of you who do not believe.\" (For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray Him.)\n 65. Then Jesus said, \"This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has granted it to him.\"\n 66. From that time on many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him.\n 67. So Jesus asked the Twelve, \"Do you want to leave too?\"\n 68. Simon Peter replied, \"Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.\n 69. We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God.\"\n 70. Jesus answered them, \"Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!\"\n 71. He was speaking about Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. For although Judas was one of the Twelve, he was later to betray Jesus.\n\n## Day 2 — Matthew 19:16-30\n\n??? quote \"Matthew 19:16-30\"\n\n 16. Just then a man came up to Jesus and inquired, \"Teacher, what good thing must I do to obtain eternal life?\"\n 17. \"Why do you ask Me about what is good?\" Jesus replied. \"There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.\"\n 18. \"Which ones?\" the man asked.\n Jesus answered, \"'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness,\n 19. honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.'\"\n 20. \"All these I have kept,\" said the young man. \"What do I still lack?\"\n 21. Jesus told him, \"If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.\"\n 22. When the young man heard this, he went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.\n 23. Then Jesus said to His disciples, \"Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.\n 24. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.\"\n 25. When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, \"Who then can be saved?\"\n 26. Jesus looked at them and said, \"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.\"\n 27. \"Look,\" Peter replied, \"we have left everything to follow You. What then will there be for us?\"\n 28. Jesus said to them, \"Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.\n 29. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for the sake of My name will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.\n 30. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.\n\n## Day 3 — Luke 15-16\n\n??? quote \"Luke 15\"\n\n 1. Now all the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around to listen to Jesus.\n 2. So the Pharisees and scribes began to grumble: \"This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.\"\n 3. Then Jesus told them this parable:\n 4. \"What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?\n 5. And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders,\n 6. comes home, and calls together his friends and neighbors to tell them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep!'\n 7. I tell you that in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who do not need to repent.\n 8. Or what woman who has ten silver coins and loses one of them does not light a lamp, sweep her house, and search carefully until she finds it?\n 9. And when she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors to say, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost coin.'\n 10. In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God's angels over one sinner who repents.\"\n 11. Then Jesus said, \"There was a man who had two sons.\n 12. The younger son said to him, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.\n 13. After a few days, the younger son got everything together and journeyed to a distant country, where he squandered his wealth in wild living.\n 14. After he had spent all he had, a severe famine swept through that country, and he began to be in need.\n 15. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed the pigs.\n 16. He longed to fill his belly with the pods the pigs were eating, but no one would give him a thing.\n 17. Finally he came to his senses and said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have plenty of food, but here I am, starving to death!\n 18. I will get up and go back to my father and say to him, \"Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.\n 19. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.\"'\n 20. So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.\n 21. The son declared, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'\n 22. But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.\n 23. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us feast and celebrate.\n 24. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found!' So they began to celebrate.\n 25. Meanwhile the older son was in the field, and as he approached the house, he heard music and dancing.\n 26. So he called one of the servants and asked what was going on.\n 27. 'Your brother has returned,' he said, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has him back safe and sound.'\n 28. The older son became angry and refused to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him.\n 29. But he answered his father, 'Look, all these years I have served you and never disobeyed a commandment of yours. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.\n 30. But when this son of yours returns from squandering your wealth with prostitutes, you kill the fattened calf for him!'\n 31. 'Son, you are always with me,' the father said, 'and all that is mine is yours.\n 32. But it was fitting to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'\"\n\n??? quote \"Luke 16\"\n\n 1. Jesus also said to His disciples, \"There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.\n 2. So he called him in to ask, 'What is this I hear about you? Turn in an account of your management, for you cannot be manager any longer.'\n 3. The manager said to himself, 'What shall I do, now that my master is taking away my position? I am too weak to dig and too ashamed to beg.\n 4. I know what I will do so that after my removal from management, people will welcome me into their homes.'\n 5. And he called in each one of his master's debtors. 'How much do you owe my master?' he asked the first.\n 6. 'A hundred measures of olive oil,' he answered.\n 'Take your bill,' said the manager, 'sit down quickly, and write fifty.'\n 7. Then he asked another, 'And how much do you owe?'\n 'A hundred measures of wheat,' he replied.\n 'Take your bill and write eighty,' he told him.\n 8. The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the sons of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the sons of light.\n 9. I tell you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves so that when it is gone, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings.\n 10. Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.\n 11. So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches?\n 12. And if you have not been faithful with the belongings of another, who will give you belongings of your own?\n 13. No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.\"\n 14. The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all of this and were scoffing at Jesus.\n 15. So He said to them, \"You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.\n 16. The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the gospel of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.\n 17. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.\n 18. Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.\n 19. Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, who lived each day in joyous splendor.\n 20. And a beggar named Lazarus lay at his gate, covered with sores\n 21. and longing to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.\n 22. One day the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. And the rich man also died and was buried.\n 23. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham from afar, with Lazarus by his side.\n 24. So he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. For I am in agony in this fire.'\n 25. But Abraham answered, 'Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things. But now he is comforted here, while you are in agony.\n 26. And besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that even those who wish cannot cross from here to you, nor can anyone cross from there to us.'\n 27. 'Then I beg you, father,' he said, 'send Lazarus to my father''s house,\n 28. for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also end up in this place of torment.'\n 29. But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let your brothers listen to them.'\n 30. 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone is sent to them from the dead, they will repent.'\n 31. Then Abraham said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.'\"\n\n## Day 4 — Luke 17:11-37\n\n??? quote \"Luke 17:11-37\"\n\n 11. While Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem, He was passing between Samaria and Galilee.\n 12. As He entered one of the villages, He was met by ten lepers. They stood at a distance\n 13. and raised their voices, shouting, \"Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!\"\n 14. When Jesus saw them, He said, \"Go, show yourselves to the priests.\" And as they were on their way, they were cleansed.\n 15. When one of them saw that he was healed, he came back, praising God in a loud voice.\n 16. He fell facedown at Jesus' feet in thanksgiving to Him—and he was a Samaritan.\n 17. \"Were not all ten cleansed?\" Jesus asked. \"Where then are the other nine?\n 18. Was no one found except this foreigner to return and give glory to God?\"\n 19. Then Jesus said to him, \"Rise and go; your faith has made you well!\"\n 20. When asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, \"The kingdom of God will not come with observable signs.\n 21. Nor will people say, 'Look, here it is,' or 'There it is.' For you see, the kingdom of God is in your midst.\"\n 22. Then He said to the disciples, \"The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.\n 23. People will tell you, 'Look, there He is!' or 'Look, here He is!' Do not go out or chase after them.\n 24. For just as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so will be the Son of Man in His day.\n 25. But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.\n 26. Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man:\n 27. People were eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.\n 28. It was the same in the days of Lot: People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building.\n 29. But on the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.\n 30. It will be just like that on the day the Son of Man is revealed.\n 31. On that day, let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve his possessions. Likewise, let no one in the field return for anything he has left behind.\n 32. Remember Lot's wife!\n 33. Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.\n 34. I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed: one will be taken and the other left.\n 35. Two women will be grinding grain together: one will be taken and the other left.\"\n 37. \"Where, Lord?\" they asked.\n Jesus answered, \"Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.\"\n\n## Day 5 — Mark 10\n\n??? quote \"Mark 10\"\n\n 1. Then Jesus left that place and went into the region of Judea, beyond the Jordan. Again the crowds came to Him and He taught them, as was His custom.\n 2. Some Pharisees came to test Him. \"Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?\" they inquired.\n 3. \"What did Moses command you?\" He replied.\n 4. They answered, \"Moses permitted a man to write his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away.\"\n 5. But Jesus told them, \"Moses wrote this commandment for you because of your hardness of heart.\n 6. However, from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.'\n 7. 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,\n 8. and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one flesh.\n 9. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.\"\n 10. When they were back inside the house, the disciples asked Jesus about this matter.\n 11. So He told them, \"Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.\n 12. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.\"\n 13. Now people were bringing the little children to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them, and the disciples rebuked those who brought them.\n 14. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and told them, \"Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.\n 15. Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.\"\n 16. And He took the children in His arms, placed His hands on them, and blessed them.\n 17. As Jesus started on His way, a man ran up and knelt before Him. \"Good Teacher,\" he asked, \"what must I do to inherit eternal life?\"\n 18. \"Why do you call Me good?\" Jesus replied. \"No one is good except God alone.\n 19. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not cheat others, honor your father and mother.'\"\n 20. \"Teacher,\" he replied, \"all these I have kept from my youth.\"\n 21. Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, \"There is one thing you lack: Go, sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.\"\n 22. But the man was saddened by these words and went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.\n 23. Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, \"How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!\"\n 24. And the disciples were amazed at His words.\n But Jesus said to them again, \"Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!\n 25. It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.\"\n 26. They were even more astonished and said to one another, \"Who then can be saved?\"\n 27. Jesus looked at them and said, \"With man this is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.\"\n 28. Peter began to say to Him, \"Look, we have left everything and followed You.\"\n 29. \"Truly I tell you,\" Jesus replied, \"no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for My sake and for the gospel\n 30. will fail to receive a hundredfold in the present age—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, along with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.\n 31. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.\"\n 32. As they were going up the road to Jerusalem, Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were amazed, but those who followed were afraid. Again Jesus took the Twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him:\n 33. \"Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn Him to death and will deliver Him over to the Gentiles,\n 34. who will mock Him and spit on Him and flog Him and kill Him. And after three days He will rise again.\"\n 35. Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and declared, \"Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.\"\n 36. \"What do you want Me to do for you?\" He inquired.\n 37. They answered, \"Grant that one of us may sit at Your right hand and the other at Your left in Your glory.\"\n 38. \"You do not know what you are asking,\" Jesus replied. \"Can you drink the cup I will drink, or be baptized with the baptism I will undergo?\"\n 39. \"We can,\" the brothers answered.\n \"You will drink the cup that I drink,\" Jesus said, \"and you will be baptized with the baptism that I undergo.\n 40. But to sit at My right or left is not Mine to grant. These seats belong to those for whom they have been prepared.\"\n 41. When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John.\n 42. So Jesus called them together and said, \"You know that those regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them.\n 43. But it shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,\n 44. and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all.\n 45. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.\"\n 46. Next, they came to Jericho. And as Jesus and His disciples were leaving Jericho with a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting beside the road.\n 47. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, \"Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!\"\n 48. Many people admonished him to be silent, but he cried out all the louder, \"Son of David, have mercy on me!\"\n 49. Jesus stopped and said, \"Call him.\"\n So they called the blind man. \"Take courage!\" they said. \"Get up! He is calling for you.\"\n 50. Throwing off his cloak, Bartimaeus jumped up and came to Jesus.\n 51. \"What do you want Me to do for you?\" Jesus asked.\n 52. \"Rabboni,\" said the blind man, \"let me see again.\"\n 53. \"Go,\" said Jesus, \"your faith has healed you.\" And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.\n\n---\n\n## Weekly Journal\n\n### Stands out\n\n#### Day 1 — John 6\n\n 9. \"Here is a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish. But what difference will these make among so many?\"\n\n 29. Jesus replied, \"The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.\"\n\n 37. Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never drive away.\n\n#### Day 4 — Luke 17:11-37\n\n 14. When Jesus saw them, He said, \"Go, show yourselves to the priests.\" And as they were on their way, they were cleansed.\n 15. When one of them saw that he was healed, he came back, praising God in a loud voice.\n 16. He fell facedown at Jesus' feet in thanksgiving to Him—and he was a Samaritan.\n 17. \"Were not all ten cleansed?\" Jesus asked. \"Where then are the other nine?\n 18. Was no one found except this foreigner to return and give glory to God?\"\n 19. Then Jesus said to him, \"Rise and go; your faith has made you well!\"\n\n### Means\n\n#### Day 1 — John 6\n\neverything comes from the Lord - God gives every single sgood thing in his own way.\n\n#### Day 4 — Luke 17:11-37\n\nObedience is a gift of faith - and a medium by which God works\n\n### For me\n\n#### Day 4 — Luke 17:11-37\n\nGod's blessing is within his sovereign will to pour out. He has clearly had so much favor on me... why would I squandor it?\n\n### Prayer\n\n---\n\n## Prayer Requests\n\n- [ ] \u003cname\u003e — \u003crequest\u003e\n- [ ] \u003cname\u003e — \u003crequest\u003e\n\n### Answered / Updates\n\n- \u003cfollow-ups from previous weeks\u003e\n\n## Meeting Notes\n\n\u003cwhat the group discussed, insights from others\u003e\n", "summary": "!!! quote \"Philippians 4:19\"", "date_published": "2026-09-07T06:00:00Z", "date_modified": "2026-09-07T06:00:00Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "olivet", "faith", "mens-group" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/fwbg-genesis-4-1/", "url": "https://pype.dev/fwbg-genesis-4-1/", "title": "FWBG - Genesis - 4.1", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003eThe Fall is worthy of grieving. The story in the Bible explains the state of\nhumanity, and I think we can grieve humanity\u0026rsquo;s state just via observation\ntoday. But the beauty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that with grieving and\nmourning there is hope and redemption\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\nThe Fall is worthy of grieving. The story in the Bible explains the state of\nhumanity, and I think we can grieve humanity's state just via observation\ntoday. But the beauty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that with grieving and\nmourning there is hope and redemption\n", "summary": "The Fall is worthy of grieving. The story in the Bible explains the state of humanity, and I think we can grieve humanity's state just via observation today....", "date_published": "2026-06-18T06:31:23Z", "date_modified": "2026-06-18T06:31:23Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "faith", "family-worship-bible-guide" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/fwbg-genesis-3-3/", "url": "https://pype.dev/fwbg-genesis-3-3/", "title": "FWBG - Genesis - 3.3", "content_html": "\u003ch2 id=\"on-the-fall\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eOn the Fall\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#on-the-fall\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe consequences of the fall were immediate and great:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eshame (humans recognize their nakedness and cover up)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eseparation (humans are banished from Paradise/Eden)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen I have nothing to hide, and I\u0026rsquo;m completing my work both at home and my job\nto a degree that I\u0026rsquo;m satisfied with results, then shame and anxiety seem so\nsmall.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod gives grace to people, and he offered grace in the beginning as one of his\nresponses to sin.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI can\u0026rsquo;t help but recognize the wrestle with the reality of the Fall, and I\ndon\u0026rsquo;t mean the state of human today - I think we\u0026rsquo;re clearly fallen. But I mean\nthe record in Genesis 3\u0026hellip; I think Genesis 1-11 tells a story to explain human\nhistory but doesn\u0026rsquo;t necessarily give us a play-by-play transcription of that\nhistory. So I need to personally be careful in how much analysis I do of the\nphysical reality of Genesis 3 and be sure to filter my perception of it through\nthe lens of the rest of the Bible.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus is the snake-crusher promised in 3:9, and he offers grace every day for\nsin to those he loves.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMay Jesus today grant me grace to work hard but have the right perspective. The\nthings I stress about in my life, I\u0026rsquo;m afraid are less important, less weighty\nthan the weight of anxiety they cause. Perhaps the anxiety I am dealing with is\na direct result of the Fall, and it continues as I hide away or try to give\ntime and energy to the wrong things.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n## On the Fall\n\nThe consequences of the fall were immediate and great:\n\n- shame (humans recognize their nakedness and cover up)\n- separation (humans are banished from Paradise/Eden)\n\nWhen I have nothing to hide, and I'm completing my work both at home and my job\nto a degree that I'm satisfied with results, then shame and anxiety seem so\nsmall.\n\nGod gives grace to people, and he offered grace in the beginning as one of his\nresponses to sin.\n\nI can't help but recognize the wrestle with the reality of the Fall, and I\ndon't mean the state of human today - I think we're clearly fallen. But I mean\nthe record in Genesis 3... I think Genesis 1-11 tells a story to explain human\nhistory but doesn't necessarily give us a play-by-play transcription of that\nhistory. So I need to personally be careful in how much analysis I do of the\nphysical reality of Genesis 3 and be sure to filter my perception of it through\nthe lens of the rest of the Bible.\n\nJesus is the snake-crusher promised in 3:9, and he offers grace every day for\nsin to those he loves.\n\nMay Jesus today grant me grace to work hard but have the right perspective. The\nthings I stress about in my life, I'm afraid are less important, less weighty\nthan the weight of anxiety they cause. Perhaps the anxiety I am dealing with is\na direct result of the Fall, and it continues as I hide away or try to give\ntime and energy to the wrong things.\n", "summary": "The consequences of the fall were immediate and great:", "date_published": "2026-05-31T07:12:49Z", "date_modified": "2026-05-31T07:12:49Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "faith", "family-worship-bible-guide" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/gods-zeal-for-justice-amont-men-displayed-in-the-divine-counsel/", "url": "https://pype.dev/gods-zeal-for-justice-amont-men-displayed-in-the-divine-counsel/", "title": "God’s Zeal for Justice Amont Men Displayed in the Divine Counsel", "content_html": "\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edlishFtHHE\"\u003elink to sermon\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePsalm 82\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 God stands in the divine assembly; he administers judgment in the midst of\nthe gods.\n2 “How long will you judge unjustly and show favoritism to the\nwicked?\nSelah\n3 Judge on behalf of the helpless and the orphan; provide\njustice to the afflicted and the poor.\n4 Rescue the helpless and the needy;\ndeliver them from the hand of the wicked.”\n5 They do not know or consider. They go about in the darkness, so that all\nthe foundations of the earth are\nshaken.\n6 I have said, “You are gods, and sons of the Most High, all of you.\n7 However, you will die like men, and you will fall like one of the princes.”\n8 Rise up, O God, judge the earth, because you shall inherit all the nations.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eEphesians 1:15-22\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e15 Because of this I also, hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your\nlove for all the saints, 16 do not cease giving thanks for you, making mention\nin my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father,\nmay give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him 18 (the\neyes of your hearts having been enlightened), so that you may know what is the\nhope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance among\nthe saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of his power toward us who\nbelieve, according to the working of his mighty strength 20 which he has worked\nin Christ, raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the\nheavenly places, 21 above all rule and authority and power and lordship and\nevery name named, not only in this age but also in the coming one, 22 and he\nsubjected all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the\nchurch, 23 which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in\nevery way.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eEphesians 2:4-7\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he\nloved us, 5 and we being dead in trespasses, he made us alive together with\nChrist (by grace you are saved), 6 and raised us together and seated us\ntogether in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that he might show\nin the coming ages the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness upon us in\nChrist Jesus.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"running-thoughts\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eRunning thoughts\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#running-thoughts\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"seated-in-the-heavently-places-with-christ-jesus\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eSeated in the Heavently Places with Christ Jesus\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#seated-in-the-heavently-places-with-christ-jesus\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe are aware of the idea of resurrection, and Christ\u0026rsquo;s resurrection. We know for those born-again that we\u0026rsquo;ll be raised heavenward.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat about \u0026ldquo;seated\u0026rdquo;? We are seated with Christ, this is royalty language - describes the right to rule, reign, and judge.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo when Paul tells the Ephesian saints that they\u0026rsquo;ve been seated with Christ in the heavenly places\u0026hellip;. what does it mean right now?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe are \u0026ldquo;there\u0026rdquo; with him (Jesus), right now - seated, ruling with Christ.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"founding-of-the-divine-council\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eFounding of the Divine Council\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#founding-of-the-divine-council\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJob 38:4-7\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e4 “Where were you at my laying the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if\nyou possess understanding. 5 Who determined its measurement? Yes, you do know.\nOr who stretched the measuring line upon it? 6 On what were its bases sunk?\nOr who laid its cornerstone, 7 when the morning stars were singing together\nand all the sons of God shouted for joy?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen the morning stars were singing together and all the sons of God shouted for joy\u0026hellip; divine language, beings already in existence when the foundations of the earth were laid.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJob 1:6\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd it happened one day that the sons of God came to present themselves before Yahweh, and Satan also came into their midst.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJob 2:1\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd then one day the sons of God came to present themselves before Yahweh, and Satan also came into their midst to present himself before Yahweh.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u0026ldquo;sons of God\u0026rdquo;. They present themselves before God, and they\u0026rsquo;re different\nthan other spiritual beings like Cherubim. These beings have some function\napart from God\u0026rsquo;s immediate presence, thus they gather to present themselves\n(not that they were/are always there like the throne guardians)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eDeuteronomy 32:7-9\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e7 Remember the old days, the years long past; ask your father, and he will\ninform you, your elders and they will tell you. 8 When the Most High\napportioned the nations, at his dividing up of the sons of humankind, he\nfixed the boundaries of the peoples, according to the number of the sons of\nGod. 9 For Yahweh’s portion was his people, Jacob the share of his\ninheritance.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMoses is referencing Genesis 10/11, The Tower of Babel. There was 1 language,\nbut humans decided to build a name for themselves rather than obey God\u0026rsquo;s\ncommands, so Yahweh confused their language and scattered them. Moses adds the\ncommentary that the \u0026ldquo;borders of the people\u0026rdquo; were fixed \u0026ldquo;according to the number\nof the sons of God\u0026rdquo;. The Divine Council was given the job of ruling over the\nscattered people, to lead them back to Yahweh.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYahweh creates a new inheritance for himself through Jacob (Abram -\u0026gt; Israel)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA note about Yahweh\u0026rsquo;s character - he freely delegates to his creation (human\nand divine) responsiblities as it pertains to ruling creation. No one forced\nYahweh to do this delegation, he has every right to rule as an authoritative\ndictator since he is the creator of all things, but he partners with his\ncreation, even in their failures.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"failing-of-the-divine-council\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eFailing of the Divine Council\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#failing-of-the-divine-council\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow to the spiritual gods over the nations, he says:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePsalm 82:2\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“How long will you judge unjustly and show favoritism to the wicked? Selah\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey were supposed to govern righteously\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePsalm 82:3-4\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e3 Judge on behalf of the helpless and the orphan; provide justice to the\nafflicted and the poor. 4 Rescue the helpless and the needy; deliver them\nfrom the hand of the wicked.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are appropriate penalties for judgement. The duty was to protect the weak\nand provide justice. The goal was for the vulnerable to be delievered from the\nhands of the wicked.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBob summarizes with some modern language: crime prevention and crime\npunishnment. These are the mechanisms by which the wicked are kept in check,\nand it\u0026rsquo;s through no other means (re: the history of every civilization ever)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVerse 5, the Psalmist continues and the \u0026ldquo;they\u0026rdquo; are the subordinates - the\npeople of the world placed under the ruling of the gods.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePsalm 82:5\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey do not know or consider. They go about in the darkness, so that all\nthe foundations of the earth are shaken.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod is saying to his council, \u0026ldquo;They (the humans) do not know. They don\u0026rsquo;t know\nhow to rules or judge, look at them and you have ruled poorly, you have allowed\ninjustice to reign rather than rule and reign yourself and the victims in this\nare the helpless humans and rest of creation\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eie. the sons of God in the divine council are partly to blame for the people\u0026rsquo;s\nmoral ignorance. If the people aren\u0026rsquo;t ruled in a way that leads to morality,\ncorruption takes over. Because it has, the judgement of the divine council\ncomes next:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePsalm 82:6-7\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e6 I have said, “You are gods, and sons of the Most High, all of you.\n7 However, you will die like men, and you will fall like one of the princes.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition warning\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eGod's zeal for justice is clear\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe will judge his own council to death for their failures.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"fulfilling-of-the-divine-council\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eFulfilling of the Divine Council\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#fulfilling-of-the-divine-council\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe fulfilment of the divine council is found in Jesus. Yahweh comes himself to govern rightly.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe fulfilment happens at Jesus\u0026rsquo; Ascension - Matthew 28.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Ascension from Heaven\u0026rsquo;s perspective is in Daniel 7.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eDaniel 7:13-14\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e13 “I continued watching in the visions of the night, and look, with the\nclouds of heaven one like a son of man was coming, and he came to the Ancient\nof Days, and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and\nglory and kingship that all the peoples, the nations, and languages would serve\nhim; his dominion is a dominion without end that will not cease, and his\nkingdom is one that will not be destroyed.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConfirmed agin in Ephesians 1\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eEphesians 1:20-23\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e20 which he has worked in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating him\nat his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 above all rule and authority and\npower and lordship and every name named, not only in this age but also in the\ncoming one, 22 and he subjected all things under his feet and gave him as head\nover all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of the one\nwho fills all things in every way.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus\u0026rsquo; seat is \u003ccode\u003eabove all rule and authority and power and lordship and every name named\u003c/code\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough Jesus we, believers, are \u0026lsquo;sons of God\u0026rsquo;. The Divine Council\u0026rsquo;s failure to\ngovern the nations well should be somewhat of a warning to us, and an\naffirmation of our calling to rule the earth well. Those who love Jesus, in the\nsame way the 70 sons of God were \u003cstrong\u003esupposed\u003c/strong\u003e to lead the nations back to the\nLord, are to be agents of rescue for the weak and the needy. Jesus gives us\nthis ministry.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"sancity-of-life\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eSancity of Life\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#sancity-of-life\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo one is weaker than the unborn. The fallen sons of God were given a harsh\njudgement for their failure to govern justly. Christians are the \u0026ldquo;new\u0026rdquo; sons of\nGod, we are the ones with the charge and authority to govern well. What do I do\nwith the authority and responsibility God has given me to protect the weak?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003emeditate on God\u0026rsquo;s zeal for justice\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003edo not forget the unborn in prayer (I need to pray more in general anyways)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n- [link to sermon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edlishFtHHE)\n\n!!! note \"Psalm 82\"\n\n 1 God stands in the divine assembly; he administers judgment in the midst of\n the gods.\n 2 “How long will you judge unjustly and show favoritism to the\n wicked?\n Selah\n 3 Judge on behalf of the helpless and the orphan; provide\n justice to the afflicted and the poor.\n 4 Rescue the helpless and the needy;\n deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”\n 5 They do not know or consider. They go about in the darkness, so that all\n the foundations of the earth are\n shaken.\n 6 I have said, “You are gods, and sons of the Most High, all of you.\n 7 However, you will die like men, and you will fall like one of the princes.”\n 8 Rise up, O God, judge the earth, because you shall inherit all the nations.\n\n!!! note \"Ephesians 1:15-22\"\n\n 15 Because of this I also, hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your\n love for all the saints, 16 do not cease giving thanks for you, making mention\n in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father,\n may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him 18 (the\n eyes of your hearts having been enlightened), so that you may know what is the\n hope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance among\n the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of his power toward us who\n believe, according to the working of his mighty strength 20 which he has worked\n in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the\n heavenly places, 21 above all rule and authority and power and lordship and\n every name named, not only in this age but also in the coming one, 22 and he\n subjected all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the\n church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in\n every way.\n\n!!! note \"Ephesians 2:4-7\"\n\n 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he\n loved us, 5 and we being dead in trespasses, he made us alive together with\n Christ (by grace you are saved), 6 and raised us together and seated us\n together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that he might show\n in the coming ages the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness upon us in\n Christ Jesus.\n\n## Running thoughts\n\n### Seated in the Heavently Places with Christ Jesus\n\nWe are aware of the idea of resurrection, and Christ's resurrection. We know for those born-again that we'll be raised heavenward.\n\nWhat about \"seated\"? We are seated with Christ, this is royalty language - describes the right to rule, reign, and judge.\n\nSo when Paul tells the Ephesian saints that they've been seated with Christ in the heavenly places.... what does it mean right now?\n\nWe are \"there\" with him (Jesus), right now - seated, ruling with Christ.\n\n### Founding of the Divine Council\n\n!!! note \"Job 38:4-7\"\n\n 4 “Where were you at my laying the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if\n you possess understanding. 5 Who determined its measurement? Yes, you do know.\n Or who stretched the measuring line upon it? 6 On what were its bases sunk?\n Or who laid its cornerstone, 7 when the morning stars were singing together\n and all the sons of God shouted for joy?\n\nWhen the morning stars were singing together and all the sons of God shouted for joy... divine language, beings already in existence when the foundations of the earth were laid.\n\n!!! note \"Job 1:6\"\n\n And it happened one day that the sons of God came to present themselves before Yahweh, and Satan also came into their midst.\n\n!!! note \"Job 2:1\"\n\n And then one day the sons of God came to present themselves before Yahweh, and Satan also came into their midst to present himself before Yahweh.\n\nThe \"sons of God\". They present themselves before God, and they're different\nthan other spiritual beings like Cherubim. These beings have some function\napart from God's immediate presence, thus they gather to present themselves\n(not that they were/are always there like the throne guardians)\n\n!!! note \"Deuteronomy 32:7-9\"\n\n 7 Remember the old days, the years long past; ask your father, and he will\n inform you, your elders and they will tell you. 8 When the Most High\n apportioned the nations, at his dividing up of the sons of humankind, he\n fixed the boundaries of the peoples, according to the number of the sons of\n God. 9 For Yahweh’s portion was his people, Jacob the share of his\n inheritance.\n\nMoses is referencing Genesis 10/11, The Tower of Babel. There was 1 language,\nbut humans decided to build a name for themselves rather than obey God's\ncommands, so Yahweh confused their language and scattered them. Moses adds the\ncommentary that the \"borders of the people\" were fixed \"according to the number\nof the sons of God\". The Divine Council was given the job of ruling over the\nscattered people, to lead them back to Yahweh.\n\nYahweh creates a new inheritance for himself through Jacob (Abram -\u003e Israel)\n\nA note about Yahweh's character - he freely delegates to his creation (human\nand divine) responsiblities as it pertains to ruling creation. No one forced\nYahweh to do this delegation, he has every right to rule as an authoritative\ndictator since he is the creator of all things, but he partners with his\ncreation, even in their failures.\n\n### Failing of the Divine Council\n\nNow to the spiritual gods over the nations, he says:\n\n!!! note \"Psalm 82:2\"\n\n “How long will you judge unjustly and show favoritism to the wicked? Selah\n\nThey were supposed to govern righteously\n\n!!! note \"Psalm 82:3-4\"\n\n 3 Judge on behalf of the helpless and the orphan; provide justice to the\n afflicted and the poor. 4 Rescue the helpless and the needy; deliver them\n from the hand of the wicked.”\n\nThere are appropriate penalties for judgement. The duty was to protect the weak\nand provide justice. The goal was for the vulnerable to be delievered from the\nhands of the wicked.\n\nBob summarizes with some modern language: crime prevention and crime\npunishnment. These are the mechanisms by which the wicked are kept in check,\nand it's through no other means (re: the history of every civilization ever)\n\nVerse 5, the Psalmist continues and the \"they\" are the subordinates - the\npeople of the world placed under the ruling of the gods.\n\n!!! note \"Psalm 82:5\"\n\n They do not know or consider. They go about in the darkness, so that all\n the foundations of the earth are shaken.\n\nGod is saying to his council, \"They (the humans) do not know. They don't know\nhow to rules or judge, look at them and you have ruled poorly, you have allowed\ninjustice to reign rather than rule and reign yourself and the victims in this\nare the helpless humans and rest of creation\"\n\nie. the sons of God in the divine council are partly to blame for the people's\nmoral ignorance. If the people aren't ruled in a way that leads to morality,\ncorruption takes over. Because it has, the judgement of the divine council\ncomes next:\n\n!!! note \"Psalm 82:6-7\"\n\n 6 I have said, “You are gods, and sons of the Most High, all of you.\n 7 However, you will die like men, and you will fall like one of the princes.”\n\n!!! warning \"God's zeal for justice is clear\"\n\n He will judge his own council to death for their failures.\n\n### Fulfilling of the Divine Council\n\nThe fulfilment of the divine council is found in Jesus. Yahweh comes himself to govern rightly.\n\nThe fulfilment happens at Jesus' Ascension - Matthew 28.\n\nThe Ascension from Heaven's perspective is in Daniel 7.\n\n!!! note \"Daniel 7:13-14\"\n\n 13 “I continued watching in the visions of the night, and look, with the\n clouds of heaven one like a son of man was coming, and he came to the Ancient\n of Days, and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and\n glory and kingship that all the peoples, the nations, and languages would serve\n him; his dominion is a dominion without end that will not cease, and his\n kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.\n\nConfirmed agin in Ephesians 1\n\n!!! note \"Ephesians 1:20-23\"\n\n 20 which he has worked in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating him\n at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 above all rule and authority and\n power and lordship and every name named, not only in this age but also in the\n coming one, 22 and he subjected all things under his feet and gave him as head\n over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of the one\n who fills all things in every way.\n\nJesus' seat is `above all rule and authority and power and lordship and every name named`.\n\nThrough Jesus we, believers, are 'sons of God'. The Divine Council's failure to\ngovern the nations well should be somewhat of a warning to us, and an\naffirmation of our calling to rule the earth well. Those who love Jesus, in the\nsame way the 70 sons of God were **supposed** to lead the nations back to the\nLord, are to be agents of rescue for the weak and the needy. Jesus gives us\nthis ministry.\n\n### Sancity of Life\n\nNo one is weaker than the unborn. The fallen sons of God were given a harsh\njudgement for their failure to govern justly. Christians are the \"new\" sons of\nGod, we are the ones with the charge and authority to govern well. What do I do\nwith the authority and responsibility God has given me to protect the weak?\n\n1. meditate on God's zeal for justice\n2. do not forget the unborn in prayer (I need to pray more in general anyways)\n", "summary": "link to sermon", "date_published": "2026-05-31T07:12:40Z", "date_modified": "2026-05-31T07:12:40Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "DCT", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/fwbg-genesis-3-2/", "url": "https://pype.dev/fwbg-genesis-3-2/", "title": "FWBG - Genesis - 3.2", "content_html": "\u003ch2 id=\"resist-temptation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eResist Temptation\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#resist-temptation\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEve was tempted by sin by litening to the great deceiver. But it wasn\u0026rsquo;t just\nthat she \u003cstrong\u003eheard\u003c/strong\u003e the serpent, she participated in the conversation, she\nentertained the snake, and she meditated/directed her thoughts and eyes towards\nthe objects of desire and the serpent rather than her God.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe woman \u003cstrong\u003esaw\u003c/strong\u003e that the tree was good for food and it was a delight to the\n\u003cstrong\u003eeyes\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e2 Corinthians 10:3-5\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e3 For although we are living in the flesh, we do not wage war according to\nthe flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but powerful\nto God for the tearing down of fortresses, tearing down arguments 5 and all\npride that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought\ncaptive to the obedience of Christ.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe woman did not resist, she gave in. She entertained the thought of the\nfruit, gazed at it with her eyes, and decided to listen to the serpent and\nultimately herself, rather than God\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSin is a matter of the heart, of looking inward into our own experiences and\nwhat we see with our own eyes, rather than what we heard from the Lord.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe will all see things with our eyes that are pleasing to us, and good for one thing or another.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition danger\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJudges 21:25\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn those days there was no king in Israel; each one did what was right in\nhis own eyes.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eScariest Bible verse - \u003cstrong\u003eeveryone did what was right in his own eyes\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGoodness comes from doing what\u0026rsquo;s right in God\u0026rsquo;s eyes, not our own\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n## Resist Temptation\n\n- Eve was tempted by sin by litening to the great deceiver. But it wasn't just\n that she **heard** the serpent, she participated in the conversation, she\n entertained the snake, and she meditated/directed her thoughts and eyes towards\n the objects of desire and the serpent rather than her God.\n\n- The woman **saw** that the tree was good for food and it was a delight to the\n **eyes**\n\n!!! note \"2 Corinthians 10:3-5\"\n\n 3 For although we are living in the flesh, we do not wage war according to\n the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but powerful\n to God for the tearing down of fortresses, tearing down arguments 5 and all\n pride that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought\n captive to the obedience of Christ.\n\n- The woman did not resist, she gave in. She entertained the thought of the\n fruit, gazed at it with her eyes, and decided to listen to the serpent and\n ultimately herself, rather than God\n\n- Sin is a matter of the heart, of looking inward into our own experiences and\n what we see with our own eyes, rather than what we heard from the Lord.\n- We will all see things with our eyes that are pleasing to us, and good for one thing or another.\n\n!!! danger \"Judges 21:25\"\n\n In those days there was no king in Israel; each one did what was right in\n his own eyes.\n\n- Scariest Bible verse - **everyone did what was right in his own eyes**\n\n- Goodness comes from doing what's right in God's eyes, not our own\n", "summary": "Eve was tempted by sin by litening to the great deceiver. But it wasn't just that she ** the serpent, she participated in the conversation, she entertained...", "date_published": "2026-05-27T07:02:50Z", "date_modified": "2026-05-27T07:02:50Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "sin", "faith", "family-worship-bible-guide" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/fwbg-genesis-1-2/", "url": "https://pype.dev/fwbg-genesis-1-2/", "title": "FWBG - Genesis - 1.2", "content_html": "\u003ch2 id=\"theological-implicationf-of-creation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eTheological Implicationf of Creation\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#theological-implicationf-of-creation\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;Let there be\u0026hellip;\u0026rdquo; God\u0026rsquo;s Word is the agency of creation\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus commanded Lazarus to come out of the grave\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJohn 11:41–44\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes above and\nsaid, “Father, I give thanks to you that you hear me. 42 And I know that you\nalways hear me, but for the sake of the crowd standing around I said it, so\nthat they may believe that you sent me.” 43 And when he had said these things,\nhe cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The one who had died\ncame out, his feet and his hands bound with strips of cloth, and his face\nwrapped with a facecloth. Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJesus calmed the storm\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eMark 4:35–40\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e35 And on that day, when it was evening, he said to them, “Let us cross over to\nthe other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him along, as he was, in\nthe boat. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great storm of wind\ndeveloped, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was\nalready being filled with water. 38 And he was in the stern sleeping on the\ncushion, and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, is it not a concern to\nyou that we are perishing?” 39 And he woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to\nthe sea, “Be quiet! Be silent!” And the wind abated and there was a great calm.\n40 And he said to them, “Why are you fearful? Do you not yet have faith?”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGod created - the implication is that creation belongs to him, and if he wishes then creation is accountable to him\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMan is in cluded in creation, Man is accountable to God, and Man has a way to God through Jesus\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n## Theological Implicationf of Creation\n\n- \"Let there be...\" God's Word is the agency of creation\n\n- Jesus commanded Lazarus to come out of the grave\n\n!!! note \"John 11:41–44\"\n\n 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes above and\n said, “Father, I give thanks to you that you hear me. 42 And I know that you\n always hear me, but for the sake of the crowd standing around I said it, so\n that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 And when he had said these things,\n he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The one who had died\n came out, his feet and his hands bound with strips of cloth, and his face\n wrapped with a facecloth. Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.”\n\n- Jesus calmed the storm\n\n!!! note \"Mark 4:35–40\"\n\n 35 And on that day, when it was evening, he said to them, “Let us cross over to\n the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him along, as he was, in\n the boat. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great storm of wind\n developed, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was\n already being filled with water. 38 And he was in the stern sleeping on the\n cushion, and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, is it not a concern to\n you that we are perishing?” 39 And he woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to\n the sea, “Be quiet! Be silent!” And the wind abated and there was a great calm.\n 40 And he said to them, “Why are you fearful? Do you not yet have faith?”\n\n- God created - the implication is that creation belongs to him, and if he wishes then creation is accountable to him\n- Man is in cluded in creation, Man is accountable to God, and Man has a way to God through Jesus\n", "summary": "\"Let there be...\" God's Word is the agency of creation", "date_published": "2026-05-24T07:05:23Z", "date_modified": "2026-05-24T07:05:23Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "faith", "family-worship-bible-guide" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/fwbg-genesis-1-1/", "url": "https://pype.dev/fwbg-genesis-1-1/", "title": "FWBG - Genesis - 1.1", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003eThe stars are the work of God\u0026rsquo;s fingers:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePsalm 8:3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you set in place—\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut salvation is the work of his right hand:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePsalm 98:1\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSing to Yahweh a new song, for he has done wonders. His right hand and his holy arm have secured his victory.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn Genesis 1, God created the Heavens and the earth. He brings \u003ccode\u003eorder to chaos\u003c/code\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"how-can-we-bring-order-to-chaos\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eHow can we bring order to chaos?\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#how-can-we-bring-order-to-chaos\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ecleaning the playroom\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"how-can-we-rest\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eHow can we rest?\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#how-can-we-rest\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eenjoy the creation God has given us\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003erejoice in salvation, rejoicing brings refreshment to the soul\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n", "content_text": "\nThe stars are the work of God's fingers:\n\n!!! note \"Psalm 8:3\"\n\n When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you set in place—\n\nBut salvation is the work of his right hand:\n\n!!! note \"Psalm 98:1\"\n\n Sing to Yahweh a new song, for he has done wonders. His right hand and his holy arm have secured his victory.\n\nIn Genesis 1, God created the Heavens and the earth. He brings `order to chaos`.\n\n## How can we bring order to chaos?\n\n- cleaning the playroom\n\n## How can we rest?\n\n- enjoy the creation God has given us\n- rejoice in salvation, rejoicing brings refreshment to the soul\n", "summary": "The stars are the work of God's fingers:", "date_published": "2026-05-17T07:26:23Z", "date_modified": "2026-05-17T07:26:23Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "faith", "family-worship-bible-guide" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-psalm-30-5/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-psalm-30-5/", "title": "Reflection - Psalm 30:5", "content_html": "\u003ch2 id=\"meditation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMeditation\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#meditation\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePsalm 30:5\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor there is a moment in his anger; there is a lifetime in his favor. Weeping lodges for the evening, but in the morning comes rejoicing.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m not sure how to feel about the thoughts in my head over this verse and\nmeditation this morning, only because I am so tempted to read my present-life\nsituation into it. Lately work has been the worst, I\u0026rsquo;ve written a few notes\nabout it and I\u0026rsquo;m not even sure what I\u0026rsquo;ve published on my own blog over the last\ncouple months because my brain has been in such chaos. Well, a few things\nchanged in regards to leadership, goals, etc. and the anxiety-inducing\nsituation I was thrust into I was \u003ca href=\"/kind/\" class=\"glossary-term\" title=\"kind - kubernetes in docker\" data-hover-title=\"kind\"\u003ekind\u003c/a\u003e of thrust out of. Now, there\u0026rsquo;s some\nlingering work and support but the weight that was lifted from my shoulder the\nother day, and the further relief I actually expect to feel as the corporate\nroadmaps get serialized into dozens of PowerPoint presentations to be lost in\nOutlook mailboxes, is very timely with the notion that \u0026ldquo;joy comes in the morning\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI found myself wishing for joy the other day\u0026hellip; I was watching a YouTube video\nand the clip used the phrase \u0026ldquo;operationalize joy\u0026rdquo;. It was a guy talking about\nhow he tries to live each day doing what makes him happy - overall nothing too\nsinister. However, the step I took for a few minutes in my head was a step in\nthe direction of trying to maximize joy in my life, rather than trying to\nmaximize Jesus - the one who gives the joy. By God\u0026rsquo;s grace conviction seized my\nheart, and frankly I\u0026rsquo;m still not sure what to do day-to-day as I wrestle with\nmy own \u0026ldquo;stuff\u0026rdquo; but the objective truth that our reality is fundamentally held\ntogether by is simply Jesus Christ. Jesus loves me, joy does come in the\nmorning, and this Psalm wasn\u0026rsquo;t written to me about my work situation in 2026,\nbut God\u0026rsquo;s peace is given to his people through his everlasting word. Praise the\nLord for the Word this morning, for encouragement, for relief both\ntemporary/today and eternal/tomorrow. By God\u0026rsquo;s grace alone does weeping spend\nthe night, but his gracious joy comes with the morning.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n## Meditation\n\n!!! note \"Psalm 30:5\"\n\n For there is a moment in his anger; there is a lifetime in his favor. Weeping lodges for the evening, but in the morning comes rejoicing.\n\nI'm not sure how to feel about the thoughts in my head over this verse and\nmeditation this morning, only because I am so tempted to read my present-life\nsituation into it. Lately work has been the worst, I've written a few notes\nabout it and I'm not even sure what I've published on my own blog over the last\ncouple months because my brain has been in such chaos. Well, a few things\nchanged in regards to leadership, goals, etc. and the anxiety-inducing\nsituation I was thrust into I was kind of thrust out of. Now, there's some\nlingering work and support but the weight that was lifted from my shoulder the\nother day, and the further relief I actually expect to feel as the corporate\nroadmaps get serialized into dozens of PowerPoint presentations to be lost in\nOutlook mailboxes, is very timely with the notion that \"joy comes in the morning\".\n\nI found myself wishing for joy the other day... I was watching a YouTube video\nand the clip used the phrase \"operationalize joy\". It was a guy talking about\nhow he tries to live each day doing what makes him happy - overall nothing too\nsinister. However, the step I took for a few minutes in my head was a step in\nthe direction of trying to maximize joy in my life, rather than trying to\nmaximize Jesus - the one who gives the joy. By God's grace conviction seized my\nheart, and frankly I'm still not sure what to do day-to-day as I wrestle with\nmy own \"stuff\" but the objective truth that our reality is fundamentally held\ntogether by is simply Jesus Christ. Jesus loves me, joy does come in the\nmorning, and this Psalm wasn't written to me about my work situation in 2026,\nbut God's peace is given to his people through his everlasting word. Praise the\nLord for the Word this morning, for encouragement, for relief both\ntemporary/today and eternal/tomorrow. By God's grace alone does weeping spend\nthe night, but his gracious joy comes with the morning.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Psalm 30:5\"", "date_published": "2026-05-13T08:11:22Z", "date_modified": "2026-05-13T08:11:22Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "joy", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-john-14-21/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-john-14-21/", "title": "Reflection - John 14:21", "content_html": "\u003ch2 id=\"meditation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMeditation\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#meditation\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJohn 14:21\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe one who has my commandments and keeps them—that one is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will reveal myself to him.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Lord reveals himself\u0026hellip; it\u0026rsquo;s not more complicated than that. I\u0026rsquo;ve spent years in apologetics (defending the faith), learning and regurgitating argument after logical argument for God\u0026rsquo;s existence, historical defense for the resurrection of Jesus, etc. I think Christianity is objectively difficult to reject with all the data in front of you. At the same time, Jesus and the Bible are clear that God\u0026rsquo;s wisdom is folly to man, and no man can understand without being born again (John 10:6). So, I think there\u0026rsquo;s real biblical wisdom and truth that says the opposite of what I think about the evidence for Jesus as Lord. That\u0026rsquo;s OK, because I my thoughts are for and about myself, I am born again and the story, at least the story of my salvation, is clear to me, by God\u0026rsquo;s grace. It\u0026rsquo;s through that studying and those experiences that he has revealed himself to me. I know of others who never read the Bible but Jesus came to them in a dream - perhaps this is even more compelling than historical data\u0026hellip; Jesus reveals himself to his own people in a way that reveals salvation to each of them/us. The Father gives his inheritance to Jesus (us, believers) and none will be lost. Praise God for saving me, and praise the Lord for all the different mechanisms by which he ushers his people unto himself, through the only door to heaven (John 10).\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n## Meditation\n\n!!! note \"John 14:21\"\n\n The one who has my commandments and keeps them—that one is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will reveal myself to him.”\n\nThe Lord reveals himself... it's not more complicated than that. I've spent years in apologetics (defending the faith), learning and regurgitating argument after logical argument for God's existence, historical defense for the resurrection of Jesus, etc. I think Christianity is objectively difficult to reject with all the data in front of you. At the same time, Jesus and the Bible are clear that God's wisdom is folly to man, and no man can understand without being born again (John 10:6). So, I think there's real biblical wisdom and truth that says the opposite of what I think about the evidence for Jesus as Lord. That's OK, because I my thoughts are for and about myself, I am born again and the story, at least the story of my salvation, is clear to me, by God's grace. It's through that studying and those experiences that he has revealed himself to me. I know of others who never read the Bible but Jesus came to them in a dream - perhaps this is even more compelling than historical data... Jesus reveals himself to his own people in a way that reveals salvation to each of them/us. The Father gives his inheritance to Jesus (us, believers) and none will be lost. Praise God for saving me, and praise the Lord for all the different mechanisms by which he ushers his people unto himself, through the only door to heaven (John 10).\n", "summary": "!!! note \"John 14:21\"", "date_published": "2026-05-13T06:22:40Z", "date_modified": "2026-05-13T06:22:40Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-john-16-33/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-john-16-33/", "title": "Reflection - John 16:33", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003erelated: \u003ca href=\"/advent-john-16-33/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Advent - John 16:33\" data-description=\"!!! note \u0026#34;John 16:33\u0026#34;\" data-date=\"2025-12-10\" data-preview=\"!!! note \u0026#34;John 16:33\u0026#34;\"\u003eAdvent - John 16:33\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI re-read my advent reflection and by God\u0026rsquo;s grace I was in a different frame of\nmind then. The loss of mindset is certainly on me and me alone for letting\nthings of the world crush me so much lately. The affliction Jesus mentions in\nJohn I don\u0026rsquo;t think is the affliction I currently feel over work and chaotic\ncircumstances. It feels so silly to even put my stupid computer job in the same\nthought as Jesus talking about his victory over the grave but at the same time\nperhaps there\u0026rsquo;s pastoral wisdom to challenge \u003cem\u003ethat\u003c/em\u003e thought\u0026hellip; why isn\u0026rsquo;t the\nstress and anxiety I feel over anything in my life \u003cem\u003eexactly\u003c/em\u003e what Jesus is\nreferring to?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSure, the immediate context is his crucifixion and Peter\u0026rsquo;s denial of him. But\nas I drop my thoughts into this magic computer box, what\u0026rsquo;s so different about\nme? Right now the thing that I can\u0026rsquo;t get away from is work, and it\u0026rsquo;s not even a\nvolume thing it\u0026rsquo;s just a constant stressful unknown - I could list off all the\nreasons but do they matter? I think they matter in-so-far as I am dealing with\nthem, but ultimately work is just a job and even in light of doing objectively\ngood things for the world nothing is so good as what Jesus has done for me. So\nthe specifics of the stress of my work just cannot be the thing to focus on -\nevery moment that I\u0026rsquo;m more torn up about lack of requirements, or a deadline,\nor something I don\u0026rsquo;t understand is a moment where I\u0026rsquo;m giving up myself to\nanother master and that is nothing but idolotry\u0026hellip; I do not worship my work, I\ndon\u0026rsquo;t ascribe a ton of worth to the things I do for Caterpillar, but I\ncertainly give myself over to constant fretting over it, and I struggle to do\nsome of my work in a meaningful way. Honestly, the affliction in my life today\nfeels very self-inflicted and if I can make the choice to give myself over to\nthe stress of my job, in a reality where Jesus has saved me from everything,\nwhy do I not make the choice to give myself over to him? He has made it so\nclear that victory over the world is his and his to give and share with his\npeople.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis post is almost just a hope that Jesus guides my thoughts into this digital\npaper for my own benefit, for my own affirmation of his victory of the world,\nand that the stress of my job is included in the world he\u0026rsquo;s victorious over.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI find that in seasons of my life where there isn\u0026rsquo;t a super active regular\nconsistent ball of stress sitting in my chest, that it\u0026rsquo;s easy to think about\nwhen I used to be stressed and to say \u0026ldquo;praise God for bringing me through that\u0026rdquo;\nor to look back on it with perspective and think \u0026ldquo;it wasn\u0026rsquo;t so bad as I thought\nand Jesus sustained me\u0026rdquo;\u0026hellip; and no doubt about it, Jesus is the only one\nsustaining me now, but if I ever come back to this post let me not undersell\nthe anxiety I\u0026rsquo;ve felt plaguing me. And in not-underselling it may Jesus'\nvictory be even greater in my heart, and when the Day Of The Lord arrives, I\npray it\u0026rsquo;s at that moment I can echo Paul and say that every trial pales in\ncomparison to the glory of my king. Because on earth today, I want to recognize\nthat truth, but I\u0026rsquo;d be lying if I said the anxiety in my chest pales in\ncomparison to anything I have experienced - it feels very real, very heavy,\nvery authoritative. And in this moment what I have is trust, by God\u0026rsquo;s grace -\nfaith, in Jesus\u0026rsquo; victory, but this is a conscious affirmation, it\u0026rsquo;s not one I\nfeel escaping from me but rather one I am forcing myself out into the open out\nof respect for the objective reality that is bigger than me. I know in my head\nthat Jesus is victorious, and I know he has kept and will keep my heart. Today\nthough I feel the internal battle over it, a war within, and I need Jesus to\nhelp me make the right choices today and not just look forward to being on the\nother side of a hard time later.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\nrelated: \u003ca href=\"/advent-john-16-33/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Advent - John 16:33\" data-description=\"!!! note \u0026#34;John 16:33\u0026#34;\" data-date=\"2025-12-10\"\u003eAdvent - John 16:33\u003c/a\u003e\n\nI re-read my advent reflection and by God's grace I was in a different frame of\nmind then. The loss of mindset is certainly on me and me alone for letting\nthings of the world crush me so much lately. The affliction Jesus mentions in\nJohn I don't think is the affliction I currently feel over work and chaotic\ncircumstances. It feels so silly to even put my stupid computer job in the same\nthought as Jesus talking about his victory over the grave but at the same time\nperhaps there's pastoral wisdom to challenge _that_ thought... why isn't the\nstress and anxiety I feel over anything in my life _exactly_ what Jesus is\nreferring to?\n\nSure, the immediate context is his crucifixion and Peter's denial of him. But\nas I drop my thoughts into this magic computer box, what's so different about\nme? Right now the thing that I can't get away from is work, and it's not even a\nvolume thing it's just a constant stressful unknown - I could list off all the\nreasons but do they matter? I think they matter in-so-far as I am dealing with\nthem, but ultimately work is just a job and even in light of doing objectively\ngood things for the world nothing is so good as what Jesus has done for me. So\nthe specifics of the stress of my work just cannot be the thing to focus on -\nevery moment that I'm more torn up about lack of requirements, or a deadline,\nor something I don't understand is a moment where I'm giving up myself to\nanother master and that is nothing but idolotry... I do not worship my work, I\ndon't ascribe a ton of worth to the things I do for Caterpillar, but I\ncertainly give myself over to constant fretting over it, and I struggle to do\nsome of my work in a meaningful way. Honestly, the affliction in my life today\nfeels very self-inflicted and if I can make the choice to give myself over to\nthe stress of my job, in a reality where Jesus has saved me from everything,\nwhy do I not make the choice to give myself over to him? He has made it so\nclear that victory over the world is his and his to give and share with his\npeople.\n\nThis post is almost just a hope that Jesus guides my thoughts into this digital\npaper for my own benefit, for my own affirmation of his victory of the world,\nand that the stress of my job is included in the world he's victorious over.\n\nI find that in seasons of my life where there isn't a super active regular\nconsistent ball of stress sitting in my chest, that it's easy to think about\nwhen I used to be stressed and to say \"praise God for bringing me through that\"\nor to look back on it with perspective and think \"it wasn't so bad as I thought\nand Jesus sustained me\"... and no doubt about it, Jesus is the only one\nsustaining me now, but if I ever come back to this post let me not undersell\nthe anxiety I've felt plaguing me. And in not-underselling it may Jesus'\nvictory be even greater in my heart, and when the Day Of The Lord arrives, I\npray it's at that moment I can echo Paul and say that every trial pales in\ncomparison to the glory of my king. Because on earth today, I want to recognize\nthat truth, but I'd be lying if I said the anxiety in my chest pales in\ncomparison to anything I have experienced - it feels very real, very heavy,\nvery authoritative. And in this moment what I have is trust, by God's grace -\nfaith, in Jesus' victory, but this is a conscious affirmation, it's not one I\nfeel escaping from me but rather one I am forcing myself out into the open out\nof respect for the objective reality that is bigger than me. I know in my head\nthat Jesus is victorious, and I know he has kept and will keep my heart. Today\nthough I feel the internal battle over it, a war within, and I need Jesus to\nhelp me make the right choices today and not just look forward to being on the\nother side of a hard time later.\n", "summary": "related: advent-john-16-33", "date_published": "2026-05-03T07:43:54Z", "date_modified": "2026-05-03T07:43:54Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "tribulation", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-jeremiah-17-17/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-jeremiah-17-17/", "title": "reflection - Jeremiah 17:17", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJeremiah 17:17\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou must not become to me a terror, you are my refuge in the day of disaster.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpurgeon\u0026rsquo;s reflection on this verse this morning hits hard\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe path of the Christian is not always bright with sunshine; he has his seasons of darkness and of storm.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy whole life has not been easy, my story has ups and downs like anyone\u0026rsquo;s. God\nhas been faithful to me, to bring me through trial - both when I feel and\nbelieve I am undergoing it, and before I knew what trial was but nonetheless\nwas in an imperfect situation. For several years it was too easy for me say\n\u0026ldquo;blessed be the name of the Lord\u0026rdquo;. Even today, it should be too easy, but I\nfeel the sunshine has been missing for some time, weeks or months. In this\nseason I\u0026rsquo;ve been bogged down, mostly with work. That bleeds into family stuff,\nthe stress and chaos of my job makes it easy to be impatient with my kids. In\nthat moment of impatience, God is good to remind me of how patient he is with\nme, but that doesn\u0026rsquo;t fix my parenting\u0026hellip; It opens the door to internal tension\nbecause on the one-hand I\u0026rsquo;m drawn to worship Jesus for his grace unto me, and\non the other hand I\u0026rsquo;m actively in a moment witholding grace from my own kids.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s certainly not fair to them that the storms of my life affect them, and I\u0026rsquo;m\nsure the solution isn\u0026rsquo;t to never weather a storm, but to more immediately run\nto the Lord myself in the midst of it\u0026hellip; something I\u0026rsquo;ve not been doing - as\nevidenced by a lack of reflections in the last couple months.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe best of God’s saints must drink the wormwood; the dearest of his children must bear the cross. No Christian has enjoyed perpetual prosperity; no believer can always keep his harp from the willows.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo believer can always keep his harp from the willows\u0026hellip; I often find myself\ndaydreaming about 1 decision or 1 stroke of luck, that would allow me to \u0026ldquo;keep\nmy harp from the willows\u0026rdquo; but in writing this out I realize this is plain\nidolotry. The Lord has said I will experience trial in my life, so why would I\nfantasize about escaping it forever? Why feed my own starving soul a lie when\nthe giver of life and truth has told me otherwise. Not only otherwise, but he\u0026rsquo;s\ngiven me a promise that the troubles of this age are ephemeral concerns, and\nthe ultimate glory is him alone.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe need winds and tempests to exercise our faith, to tear off the rotten bough of self-dependence, and to root us more firmly in Christ. The day of evil reveals to us the value of our glorious hope.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s felt quite windy\u0026hellip; But by comparison to others, even others I know\nclosely, what appears like a raging storm in my life is a mildly windy day in\ntheirs. Perspective is a helpful tool but the ultimate perspective comes from\nthe Love of my Lord. When I am unfaithful, when I wallow, when I\u0026rsquo;m so far in my\nown head I don\u0026rsquo;t know up from down, he is patient with me\u0026hellip; I am longing for a\nseason of life God allowed me to enjoy, and perhaps that season will return. In\nthe winter I feel like I\u0026rsquo;m in right now, I pray it\u0026rsquo;s not wasted and that\nday-by-day, with his power enabling me to even just reflect on thoughts like\nthis, I pray my own focus turns to the season-maker and not the season itself.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Jeremiah 17:17\"\n\n You must not become to me a terror, you are my refuge in the day of disaster.\n\nSpurgeon's reflection on this verse this morning hits hard...\n\n\u003e The path of the Christian is not always bright with sunshine; he has his seasons of darkness and of storm.\n\nMy whole life has not been easy, my story has ups and downs like anyone's. God\nhas been faithful to me, to bring me through trial - both when I feel and\nbelieve I am undergoing it, and before I knew what trial was but nonetheless\nwas in an imperfect situation. For several years it was too easy for me say\n\"blessed be the name of the Lord\". Even today, it should be too easy, but I\nfeel the sunshine has been missing for some time, weeks or months. In this\nseason I've been bogged down, mostly with work. That bleeds into family stuff,\nthe stress and chaos of my job makes it easy to be impatient with my kids. In\nthat moment of impatience, God is good to remind me of how patient he is with\nme, but that doesn't fix my parenting... It opens the door to internal tension\nbecause on the one-hand I'm drawn to worship Jesus for his grace unto me, and\non the other hand I'm actively in a moment witholding grace from my own kids.\nIt's certainly not fair to them that the storms of my life affect them, and I'm\nsure the solution isn't to never weather a storm, but to more immediately run\nto the Lord myself in the midst of it... something I've not been doing - as\nevidenced by a lack of reflections in the last couple months.\n\n\u003e The best of God’s saints must drink the wormwood; the dearest of his children must bear the cross. No Christian has enjoyed perpetual prosperity; no believer can always keep his harp from the willows.\n\nNo believer can always keep his harp from the willows... I often find myself\ndaydreaming about 1 decision or 1 stroke of luck, that would allow me to \"keep\nmy harp from the willows\" but in writing this out I realize this is plain\nidolotry. The Lord has said I will experience trial in my life, so why would I\nfantasize about escaping it forever? Why feed my own starving soul a lie when\nthe giver of life and truth has told me otherwise. Not only otherwise, but he's\ngiven me a promise that the troubles of this age are ephemeral concerns, and\nthe ultimate glory is him alone.\n\n\u003e We need winds and tempests to exercise our faith, to tear off the rotten bough of self-dependence, and to root us more firmly in Christ. The day of evil reveals to us the value of our glorious hope.\n\nIt's felt quite windy... But by comparison to others, even others I know\nclosely, what appears like a raging storm in my life is a mildly windy day in\ntheirs. Perspective is a helpful tool but the ultimate perspective comes from\nthe Love of my Lord. When I am unfaithful, when I wallow, when I'm so far in my\nown head I don't know up from down, he is patient with me... I am longing for a\nseason of life God allowed me to enjoy, and perhaps that season will return. In\nthe winter I feel like I'm in right now, I pray it's not wasted and that\nday-by-day, with his power enabling me to even just reflect on thoughts like\nthis, I pray my own focus turns to the season-maker and not the season itself.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Jeremiah 17:17\"", "date_published": "2026-04-30T08:12:36Z", "date_modified": "2026-04-30T08:12:36Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "hope", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/easter-2026/", "url": "https://pype.dev/easter-2026/", "title": "Easter 2026", "content_html": "\u003ch2 id=\"he-is-risen\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eHe Is Risen\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#he-is-risen\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat does it mean that \u0026ldquo;He is risen\u0026rdquo;? What does it mean to me? for me? for the\nworld? I think the question matters to everyone, Jesus did and said a lot of\nthings in real history. And a lot of what he said and did, and what others\nclaimed he did, is pretty insane. And if he\u0026rsquo;s just a liar or a crazy person,\nthen it\u0026rsquo;s all inconsequential. But if he was actually telling the truth, then\nhis life is literally the lynchpin of anyone and everyone else\u0026rsquo;s life. If he\nreally did resurrect from the grave by the power of Yahweh then every single\nperson needs to reckon with a real truth - that a King was killed and defeated\ndeath in his own death, and he said he will come again. Every single human will\nstand before the reigning resurrected King Jesus face to face, for judgement or\nforgiveness and it is inescapable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo to me, today, Easter on April 5 2026, how will I treat my King? What is my\nposture towards him and good things? I know where my head is - it\u0026rsquo;s at work, I\nknow where my heart is - it\u0026rsquo;s frustrated with my own sin and lack of attention\nto the holy seasons the Lord permits me to pass though, it\u0026rsquo;s frustrated with\nexternal pressures that affect my life as I mention in\n\u003ca href=\"/2026-04-05-notes/#Stream 2\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"2026-04-05 Notes\" data-description=\"yesterday: 2026-04-03-notes\" data-date=\"2026-04-05\"\u003e2026-04-05 Notes\u003c/a\u003e. My head and heart are not fully focused on the\nLord, haven\u0026rsquo;t been fully focused on his suffering, on him carrying the cross up\nto the place of the skull, on his side being pierced, blood and water hitting\nthe ground, his final breath, the tearing of the veil, the silence on Saturday,\nnor his resurrection we remember today\u0026hellip;. I have been so consumed with myself,\nwith work and pressure, with disappointment and mistakes that I almost feel\nlike a foreigner to approach a meditation about Easter and to write abut it at\nall, even this which is just a journal entry pretty much.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut the Lord is sweet in his victory. Today is about his victory over death.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s a victory he shares with all those whom he has called. The pressures of\nwork will fade away, the disappointment over my own sin may never leave me (and\nactually I hope it never will, Jesus frees me to live and love, he frees me\nfrom my sin but not from my sorrow or remorse over it). Praise the Lord for the\nvictory he gives his people, to me.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n## He Is Risen\n\nWhat does it mean that \"He is risen\"? What does it mean to me? for me? for the\nworld? I think the question matters to everyone, Jesus did and said a lot of\nthings in real history. And a lot of what he said and did, and what others\nclaimed he did, is pretty insane. And if he's just a liar or a crazy person,\nthen it's all inconsequential. But if he was actually telling the truth, then\nhis life is literally the lynchpin of anyone and everyone else's life. If he\nreally did resurrect from the grave by the power of Yahweh then every single\nperson needs to reckon with a real truth - that a King was killed and defeated\ndeath in his own death, and he said he will come again. Every single human will\nstand before the reigning resurrected King Jesus face to face, for judgement or\nforgiveness and it is inescapable.\n\nSo to me, today, Easter on April 5 2026, how will I treat my King? What is my\nposture towards him and good things? I know where my head is - it's at work, I\nknow where my heart is - it's frustrated with my own sin and lack of attention\nto the holy seasons the Lord permits me to pass though, it's frustrated with\nexternal pressures that affect my life as I mention in\n\u003ca href=\"/2026-04-05-notes/#Stream 2\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"2026-04-05 Notes\" data-description=\"yesterday: 2026-04-03-notes\" data-date=\"2026-04-05\"\u003e2026-04-05 Notes\u003c/a\u003e. My head and heart are not fully focused on the\nLord, haven't been fully focused on his suffering, on him carrying the cross up\nto the place of the skull, on his side being pierced, blood and water hitting\nthe ground, his final breath, the tearing of the veil, the silence on Saturday,\nnor his resurrection we remember today.... I have been so consumed with myself,\nwith work and pressure, with disappointment and mistakes that I almost feel\nlike a foreigner to approach a meditation about Easter and to write abut it at\nall, even this which is just a journal entry pretty much.\n\nBut the Lord is sweet in his victory. Today is about his victory over death.\nIt's a victory he shares with all those whom he has called. The pressures of\nwork will fade away, the disappointment over my own sin may never leave me (and\nactually I hope it never will, Jesus frees me to live and love, he frees me\nfrom my sin but not from my sorrow or remorse over it). Praise the Lord for the\nvictory he gives his people, to me.\n", "summary": "What does it mean that \"He is risen\"? What does it mean to me? for me? for the world? I think the question matters to everyone, Jesus did and said a lot of...", "date_published": "2026-04-05T05:24:02Z", "date_modified": "2026-04-05T05:24:02Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "easter", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-luke-22-48/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-luke-22-48/", "title": "Reflection - Luke 22:48", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003eSpurgeon\u0026rsquo;s \u003cstrong\u003eMorning and Evening\u003c/strong\u003e today I almost skipped, not that I\u0026rsquo;m\ndiligent to sit down every day anyways, but because I\u0026rsquo;m struggling with stress\nand work and I was hoping for some divine moment where the meditation of the\nday would just speak directly to my worries. But by God\u0026rsquo;s grace, I feel it\nspeaking to parts of me I\u0026rsquo;d rather ignore, and that alone is enough\nconfirmation to spend an extra minute on it\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eLuke 22:48\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpurgeon says first thing \u0026ldquo;The kisses of an enemy are deceitful\u0026rdquo;, not that he\u0026rsquo;s\nthe first one to say it\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eProverbs 27:6\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe wounds of a friend mean well, but the kisses of an enemy are profane.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOur pastor delivered a great sermon on Sunday that is dove-tailing in my heart\nwith this\u0026hellip; He said the most dangerous place to be was in the presence of the\nLord Jesus, and to remain unchanged by him. Jesus has words for me which do not\nfeel good in the moment - words I don\u0026rsquo;t even disagree with\u0026hellip; but do I fully\nagree? When he calls out the sin of lust or greed in my heart, do I take his\nrebuke into the depths of my soul and respond in \u003ca href=\"/kind/\" class=\"glossary-term\" title=\"kind - kubernetes in docker\" data-hover-title=\"kind\"\u003ekind\u003c/a\u003e with a contrite heart? Or\ndo I parrot agreement on the surface, but in the darkest depths continue to\nhold on to the sins that I love?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have felt so much stress from work and AI recently that I\u0026rsquo;ve just been\nneglecting the rest of my life, and frankly a sharp word from the Lord about\norienting my life around the right things is welcome. It stings but I\u0026rsquo;m smart\nenough to see how stupid I can be. In my own way I have been betraying the\nLord: talking sweetly about him to my family and friends yet daily, for the\nlast couple weeks at least, deprioritizing my time with him and giving into the\ntemptation to always be working and producing something. In the cleanest irony\nI think I\u0026rsquo;ve only made more work and mess for myself in not taking the time\neach day to slow down and reflect - both personally and in work.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePraise the Lord for friends who speak truth to me, for my wife who cares for me\nand sees the error I\u0026rsquo;m leaning into, and ultimately for Jesus himself who has\nnever abandoned me even when I turn 2 blind-eyes away from him.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\nSpurgeon's **Morning and Evening** today I almost skipped, not that I'm\ndiligent to sit down every day anyways, but because I'm struggling with stress\nand work and I was hoping for some divine moment where the meditation of the\nday would just speak directly to my worries. But by God's grace, I feel it\nspeaking to parts of me I'd rather ignore, and that alone is enough\nconfirmation to spend an extra minute on it...\n\n!!! note \"Luke 22:48\"\n\n But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”\n\nSpurgeon says first thing \"The kisses of an enemy are deceitful\", not that he's\nthe first one to say it...\n\n!!! note \"Proverbs 27:6\"\n\n The wounds of a friend mean well, but the kisses of an enemy are profane.\n\nOur pastor delivered a great sermon on Sunday that is dove-tailing in my heart\nwith this... He said the most dangerous place to be was in the presence of the\nLord Jesus, and to remain unchanged by him. Jesus has words for me which do not\nfeel good in the moment - words I don't even disagree with... but do I fully\nagree? When he calls out the sin of lust or greed in my heart, do I take his\nrebuke into the depths of my soul and respond in kind with a contrite heart? Or\ndo I parrot agreement on the surface, but in the darkest depths continue to\nhold on to the sins that I love?\n\nI have felt so much stress from work and AI recently that I've just been\nneglecting the rest of my life, and frankly a sharp word from the Lord about\norienting my life around the right things is welcome. It stings but I'm smart\nenough to see how stupid I can be. In my own way I have been betraying the\nLord: talking sweetly about him to my family and friends yet daily, for the\nlast couple weeks at least, deprioritizing my time with him and giving into the\ntemptation to always be working and producing something. In the cleanest irony\nI think I've only made more work and mess for myself in not taking the time\neach day to slow down and reflect - both personally and in work.\n\nPraise the Lord for friends who speak truth to me, for my wife who cares for me\nand sees the error I'm leaning into, and ultimately for Jesus himself who has\nnever abandoned me even when I turn 2 blind-eyes away from him.\n", "summary": "Spurgeon's ** today I almost skipped, not that I'm diligent to sit down every day anyways, but because I'm struggling with stress and work and I was hoping...", "date_published": "2026-03-25T06:13:55Z", "date_modified": "2026-03-25T06:13:55Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "betrayal", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/for-my-own-sake-i-do-it/", "url": "https://pype.dev/for-my-own-sake-i-do-it/", "title": "For My Own Sake I Do It", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eIsaiah 48:9-11\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e9 For the sake of my name I ⌊refrain from⌋ my anger,\nand for my praise I restrain it for you\nso as not to cut you off.\n10 Look! I have refined you, but not like silver;\nI have chosen you in the furnace of misery.\n11 For my own sake, for my own sake I do it;\nfor why should it be defiled?\nAnd I will not give my glory to another.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy thoughts here feel hard to put together - it\u0026rsquo;s a comforting thing to me to\nhear God say he restrains his anger for the sake of his name. God\u0026rsquo;s Name is a\nholy thing, he is a holy thing. In his sovereignty and power he chooses people,\nhe chose me and loves me. Because his choices are \u003cstrong\u003ehis choices\u003c/strong\u003e and they have\nnothing to do with me, it is comforting to me to hear that God prioritizes his\nown character over anything else. He doesn\u0026rsquo;t bless me or help me at the expense\nof anyone else or for my own sake - every blessing I have is for the sake of\nhis own Name.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s also objectively and morally good and right for him to make these choices\nfor his own Name\u0026rsquo;s sake. Why? Because he is the creator\u0026hellip; if Yahweh was\ncreated, a creature, then his Name, Himself, would not be the most fundamental\ngoodness, would not be the most important thing to appeal to. But because he is\nthe uncaused-causer, the first, the Big Banger, who ultimately loves his\ncreation and redeems a people for himself\u0026hellip; Because he is a loving father then\nit is good and right for him to to make choices based on himself, not based on\nme or creation. It\u0026rsquo;s comforting because the fundamental reality is that reality\nis outside my control, and the one who controls it behaves in a way that\nprioritizes his own good Name.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePraise God for a benevolent King who rules well for the sake of himself,\nbecause any other reason falls short.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Isaiah 48:9-11\"\n\n 9 For the sake of my name I ⌊refrain from⌋ my anger,\n and for my praise I restrain it for you\n so as not to cut you off.\n 10 Look! I have refined you, but not like silver;\n I have chosen you in the furnace of misery.\n 11 For my own sake, for my own sake I do it;\n for why should it be defiled?\n And I will not give my glory to another.\n\nMy thoughts here feel hard to put together - it's a comforting thing to me to\nhear God say he restrains his anger for the sake of his name. God's Name is a\nholy thing, he is a holy thing. In his sovereignty and power he chooses people,\nhe chose me and loves me. Because his choices are **his choices** and they have\nnothing to do with me, it is comforting to me to hear that God prioritizes his\nown character over anything else. He doesn't bless me or help me at the expense\nof anyone else or for my own sake - every blessing I have is for the sake of\nhis own Name.\n\nIt's also objectively and morally good and right for him to make these choices\nfor his own Name's sake. Why? Because he is the creator... if Yahweh was\ncreated, a creature, then his Name, Himself, would not be the most fundamental\ngoodness, would not be the most important thing to appeal to. But because he is\nthe uncaused-causer, the first, the Big Banger, who ultimately loves his\ncreation and redeems a people for himself... Because he is a loving father then\nit is good and right for him to to make choices based on himself, not based on\nme or creation. It's comforting because the fundamental reality is that reality\nis outside my control, and the one who controls it behaves in a way that\nprioritizes his own good Name.\n\nPraise God for a benevolent King who rules well for the sake of himself,\nbecause any other reason falls short.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Isaiah 48:9-11\"", "date_published": "2026-03-03T06:11:46Z", "date_modified": "2026-03-03T06:11:46Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "Isaiah", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/the-wrath-to-come-pt-2/", "url": "https://pype.dev/the-wrath-to-come-pt-2/", "title": "The Wrath to Come pt 2", "content_html": "\u003ch2 id=\"the-beginning\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eThe Beginning\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#the-beginning\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/the-wrath-to-come/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"The Wrath to Come\" data-description=\"!!! note \u0026#34;Matthew 3:7\u0026#34;\" data-date=\"2026-02-25\" data-preview=\"!!! note \u0026#34;Matthew 3:7\u0026#34;\"\u003eThe Wrath to Come\u003c/a\u003e is only the beginning, because for the true son or\ndaughter of the King, the wrath directed at the enemy, at the threat, is a\n\u003cstrong\u003edivine grace\u003c/strong\u003e. The general understanding I see people have is to take the\nposition that we\u0026rsquo;re all God\u0026rsquo;s kids, so any anger/wrath he exhibits against\nanyone is somehow a contradiction to his loving nature.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis demonstration of wrath towards his enemies is a great proof of the love he\nhas for his children though. If everyone erroneously takes a view that we\u0026rsquo;re all\nGod\u0026rsquo;s children then there\u0026rsquo;s not any room to talk about the enemies of God. YOU\nare the enemy! As was I\u0026hellip; and it\u0026rsquo;s by God\u0026rsquo;s divine love and sovereignty that I\nhave been adopted into his family. It\u0026rsquo;s by nothing more than love and\nsovereignty that \u003cstrong\u003eanyone\u003c/strong\u003e is adopted.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you are a child of the King, then wrath is only the beginning,\nbecause the rest of that story is of protection and love. Humanity gets hung up\non wrath thinking we\u0026rsquo;re the good guys and God owes us one, but this isn\u0026rsquo;t a\nBiblical worldview.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen people talk about god, god\u0026rsquo;s wrath, god\u0026rsquo;s love, etc\u0026hellip;\nI like to ask \u0026ldquo;which god?\u0026rdquo; because a lot of people aren\u0026rsquo;t talking about my\nGod, the True God-King, when they make claims about love and wrath\u0026hellip; Most\npeople want a grandpa in the sky too senile to recognize when they\u0026rsquo;ve done\nsomething wrong - but my King is the farthest thing from that caricature and his\ngrand love for his people will be shown in many ways. Watching his wrath from\nbehind the angelic armies will look much more like grace and love than hatred\nand anger, but for the enemies of God facing him at the front I\u0026rsquo;m sure \u0026lsquo;wrath\u0026rsquo;\nwill be all they see.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"choices\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChoices\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#choices\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLife is made up of choices, and I don\u0026rsquo;t think making a choice based on fear is\nideal. I do not think that anyone can \u003cstrong\u003ewill themselves\u003c/strong\u003e, by fear or\nnot, to \u0026ldquo;accept Jesus\u0026rdquo; - ie. saving faith in the Lord isn\u0026rsquo;t something anyone\ncan arrive at on their own, it is a gift.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo the question is, when the gift is sat in front of you, the gift of adoption\nand eternal life, divine and eternal grace, do you accept it? Or let it pass\nby\u0026hellip; Because that choice dictates a lot about how God looks at you. He\u0026rsquo;s\neither protecting you from his enemies, or you are his enemy. And to be honest,\nwhen the enemies of God try to slander his name by calling him hateful and\nreferring to wrath as though it should change the reality of who he is - all I\nsee are enemies and propaganda. I know my God loves me, it\u0026rsquo;s been proven over\nand over.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYahweh is not a senile old man in the sky, he is the conquering King and he\nwill protect his own. So thank God for love and wrath.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n## The Beginning\n\n\u003ca href=\"/the-wrath-to-come/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"The Wrath to Come\" data-description=\"!!! note \u0026#34;Matthew 3:7\u0026#34;\" data-date=\"2026-02-25\"\u003eThe Wrath to Come\u003c/a\u003e is only the beginning, because for the true son or\ndaughter of the King, the wrath directed at the enemy, at the threat, is a\n**divine grace**. The general understanding I see people have is to take the\nposition that we're all God's kids, so any anger/wrath he exhibits against\nanyone is somehow a contradiction to his loving nature.\n\nHis demonstration of wrath towards his enemies is a great proof of the love he\nhas for his children though. If everyone erroneously takes a view that we're all\nGod's children then there's not any room to talk about the enemies of God. YOU\nare the enemy! As was I... and it's by God's divine love and sovereignty that I\nhave been adopted into his family. It's by nothing more than love and\nsovereignty that **anyone** is adopted.\n\nIf you are a child of the King, then wrath is only the beginning,\nbecause the rest of that story is of protection and love. Humanity gets hung up\non wrath thinking we're the good guys and God owes us one, but this isn't a\nBiblical worldview.\n\nWhen people talk about god, god's wrath, god's love, etc...\nI like to ask \"which god?\" because a lot of people aren't talking about my\nGod, the True God-King, when they make claims about love and wrath... Most\npeople want a grandpa in the sky too senile to recognize when they've done\nsomething wrong - but my King is the farthest thing from that caricature and his\ngrand love for his people will be shown in many ways. Watching his wrath from\nbehind the angelic armies will look much more like grace and love than hatred\nand anger, but for the enemies of God facing him at the front I'm sure 'wrath'\nwill be all they see.\n\n## Choices\n\nLife is made up of choices, and I don't think making a choice based on fear is\nideal. I do not think that anyone can **will themselves**, by fear or\nnot, to \"accept Jesus\" - ie. saving faith in the Lord isn't something anyone\ncan arrive at on their own, it is a gift.\n\nSo the question is, when the gift is sat in front of you, the gift of adoption\nand eternal life, divine and eternal grace, do you accept it? Or let it pass\nby... Because that choice dictates a lot about how God looks at you. He's\neither protecting you from his enemies, or you are his enemy. And to be honest,\nwhen the enemies of God try to slander his name by calling him hateful and\nreferring to wrath as though it should change the reality of who he is - all I\nsee are enemies and propaganda. I know my God loves me, it's been proven over\nand over.\n\nYahweh is not a senile old man in the sky, he is the conquering King and he\nwill protect his own. So thank God for love and wrath.\n", "summary": "the-wrath-to-come is only the beginning, because for the true son or daughter of the King, the wrath directed at the enemy, at the threat, is a **. The...", "date_published": "2026-02-26T06:06:53Z", "date_modified": "2026-02-26T06:06:53Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "wrath", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/the-wrath-to-come/", "url": "https://pype.dev/the-wrath-to-come/", "title": "The Wrath to Come", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eMatthew 3:7\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism,\nhe said to them, “Offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming\nwrath?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ccode\u003eThe coming wrath\u003c/code\u003e\u0026hellip; This is a tough one to think about, and I\u0026rsquo;m not sure I\nhave a ton of hard opinions about that coming wrath anymore. I used to cling to\na few Bible verses that I thought painted a \u0026ldquo;complete\u0026rdquo; picture, or complete\nenough, of what this coming wrath will be like. But anymore, after walking with\nthe Lord, becoming a dad, learning that ancient literature is quite a bit\nharder to read than your average 21st century novel\u0026hellip; well I\u0026rsquo;m just not sure\nwhat I know anymore beyond a few things:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYahweh created all things (Genesis 1)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIn Jesus all things are held together (Colossians 1:17)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e*No one comes to Father except through Jesus, and only those whom the Father gives to him (John 6)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBy God\u0026rsquo;s grace alone is anyone chosen (Ephesians 2:8-9)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*See \u003ca href=\"/helkyo-what-is-it-for-god-to-draw-man-to-him/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Helkyo - What is it for God to draw man to him?\" data-description=\"In John 6 there is a curious phrase about how the Father initiates the process of Salvation in the hearts of men.\" data-date=\"2025-10-27\" data-preview=\"In John 6 there is a curious phrase about how the Father initiates the process of Salvation in the hearts of men.\"\u003eHelkyo - What is it for God to draw man to him?\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo what can I say about anything outside those 4 points? Not a lot that\u0026rsquo;s\nconcrete, but definitely some anecdotes, and those might be helpful.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s uncomfortable to think about God\u0026rsquo;s wrath I think because a lot of people,\nChristian or not, have this idea that \u0026ldquo;we are all God\u0026rsquo;s children\u0026rdquo; and so we\nanalyze that statement from the position of a son or daughter. \u003cstrong\u003eBut biblically,\nthis is just not even close to accurate\u003c/strong\u003e\u0026hellip; Yahweh disinherited the nations at\nBabel (Genesis 10-11, Deuteronomy 32) and created a new inheritance for\nhimself. NOT all people are God\u0026rsquo;s children\u0026hellip; I don\u0026rsquo;t know where this preschool\ntheology came from but it\u0026rsquo;s been a disaster to the general public\u0026rsquo;s view of\nlegitimate Christianity. John says in this Matthew passage that God can make\nchildren from stones - so just being born a human doesn\u0026rsquo;t grant you the\nstatus of child of God.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eMatthew 3:9\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as father.’ For I\nsay to you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI think people would generally do well to imagine themselves, not as God\u0026rsquo;s\nchildren, but as an offender of God\u0026rsquo;s children\u0026hellip; Now let\u0026rsquo;s think about wrath\nfor a second. If anyone hurt my daughters, especially someone not already in my\ngood graces, you had best believe that \u0026ldquo;wrath\u0026rdquo; will be an accurate word to use\nto describe my response. If you come for my family, for my children, that\u0026rsquo;ll\nsimply be the end of you. With that minimal perspective in mind\u0026hellip; God\u0026rsquo;s wrath\n\u003ca href=\"/kind/\" class=\"glossary-term\" title=\"kind - kubernetes in docker\" data-hover-title=\"kind\"\u003ekind\u003c/a\u003e of is a bit more palletable I think.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition danger\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eDanger\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat makes it hard is the wrong view of ourselves from the beginning\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHow would it be, if someone I didn\u0026rsquo;t know walked into my house and declared\nthemselves my son, my friend, etc. No one gets to declare themselves apart of\nmy family, there\u0026rsquo;s a process to joining a family\u0026hellip; Yahweh, as the creator of\nall things, is the one with the authority to declare these things. He has\nsimply NOT said that all people are his children - what he has done is sent an\ninvitation out that anyone can hear, and those whom he does choose are given\nthe ability to respond to it. The hearts of the men and women who hear the call\nand are changed are the ones who can refer themselves as a son or daughter of\nthe King.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo, if someone who is not God\u0026rsquo;s child thinks that God has no right to\nexhibit wrath against the ones harming his kids\u0026hellip; well\u0026hellip; I\u0026rsquo;m not sure what\nargument anyone can have there\u0026hellip; if you break into my house and harm my family\nyou\u0026rsquo;re in for a rough time - if you harm the kids of the creator of EVERYTHING,\nI can only imagine \u0026ldquo;wrath\u0026rdquo; would be just the beginning.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFollow-up post coming: \u003ca href=\"/the-wrath-to-come-pt-2/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"The Wrath to Come pt 2\" data-description=\"the-wrath-to-come is only the beginning, because for the true son or daughter of the King, the wrath directed at the enemy, at the threat, is a **. The...\" data-date=\"2026-02-26\" data-preview=\"the-wrath-to-come is only the beginning, because for the true son or daughter of the King, the wrath directed at the enemy, at the threat, is a **. The...\"\u003eThe Wrath to Come pt 2\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Matthew 3:7\"\n\n But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism,\n he said to them, “Offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming\n wrath?\n\n`The coming wrath`... This is a tough one to think about, and I'm not sure I\nhave a ton of hard opinions about that coming wrath anymore. I used to cling to\na few Bible verses that I thought painted a \"complete\" picture, or complete\nenough, of what this coming wrath will be like. But anymore, after walking with\nthe Lord, becoming a dad, learning that ancient literature is quite a bit\nharder to read than your average 21st century novel... well I'm just not sure\nwhat I know anymore beyond a few things:\n\n1. Yahweh created all things (Genesis 1)\n2. In Jesus all things are held together (Colossians 1:17)\n3. \\*No one comes to Father except through Jesus, and only those whom the Father gives to him (John 6)\n4. By God's grace alone is anyone chosen (Ephesians 2:8-9)\n\n\\*See \u003ca href=\"/helkyo-what-is-it-for-god-to-draw-man-to-him/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Helkyo - What is it for God to draw man to him?\" data-description=\"In John 6 there is a curious phrase about how the Father initiates the process of Salvation in the hearts of men.\" data-date=\"2025-10-27\"\u003eHelkyo - What is it for God to draw man to him?\u003c/a\u003e\n\nSo what can I say about anything outside those 4 points? Not a lot that's\nconcrete, but definitely some anecdotes, and those might be helpful.\n\nIt's uncomfortable to think about God's wrath I think because a lot of people,\nChristian or not, have this idea that \"we are all God's children\" and so we\nanalyze that statement from the position of a son or daughter. **But biblically,\nthis is just not even close to accurate**... Yahweh disinherited the nations at\nBabel (Genesis 10-11, Deuteronomy 32) and created a new inheritance for\nhimself. NOT all people are God's children... I don't know where this preschool\ntheology came from but it's been a disaster to the general public's view of\nlegitimate Christianity. John says in this Matthew passage that God can make\nchildren from stones - so just being born a human doesn't grant you the\nstatus of child of God.\n\n!!! note \"Matthew 3:9\"\n\n And do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as father.’ For I\n say to you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones!\n\nI think people would generally do well to imagine themselves, not as God's\nchildren, but as an offender of God's children... Now let's think about wrath\nfor a second. If anyone hurt my daughters, especially someone not already in my\ngood graces, you had best believe that \"wrath\" will be an accurate word to use\nto describe my response. If you come for my family, for my children, that'll\nsimply be the end of you. With that minimal perspective in mind... God's wrath\nkind of is a bit more palletable I think.\n\n!!! danger \"\"\n\n What makes it hard is the wrong view of ourselves from the beginning...\n\nHow would it be, if someone I didn't know walked into my house and declared\nthemselves my son, my friend, etc. No one gets to declare themselves apart of\nmy family, there's a process to joining a family... Yahweh, as the creator of\nall things, is the one with the authority to declare these things. He has\nsimply NOT said that all people are his children - what he has done is sent an\ninvitation out that anyone can hear, and those whom he does choose are given\nthe ability to respond to it. The hearts of the men and women who hear the call\nand are changed are the ones who can refer themselves as a son or daughter of\nthe King.\n\nSo, if someone who is not God's child thinks that God has no right to\nexhibit wrath against the ones harming his kids... well... I'm not sure what\nargument anyone can have there... if you break into my house and harm my family\nyou're in for a rough time - if you harm the kids of the creator of EVERYTHING,\nI can only imagine \"wrath\" would be just the beginning.\n\nFollow-up post coming: \u003ca href=\"/the-wrath-to-come-pt-2/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"The Wrath to Come pt 2\" data-description=\"the-wrath-to-come is only the beginning, because for the true son or daughter of the King, the wrath directed at the enemy, at the threat, is a **. The...\" data-date=\"2026-02-26\"\u003eThe Wrath to Come pt 2\u003c/a\u003e\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Matthew 3:7\"", "date_published": "2026-02-25T06:09:15Z", "date_modified": "2026-02-25T06:09:15Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "wrath", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-hebrews-13-5/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-hebrews-13-5/", "title": "Reflection - Hebrews 13:5", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eHebrews 13:5\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYour lifestyle must be free from the love of money, being content with what you have. For he himself has said, “I will never desert you, and I will never abandon you.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHebrews is a long sermon and near the end of that sermon are some imperatives\nfor God\u0026rsquo;s people. The Bible is anything but Basic Instructions Before Leaving\nEarth, but Hebrews 13 has some pretty basic instructions that are wise to\nremember. There are 2 in this verse to encourage me this morning:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYour lifestyle must be free from the love of money\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor he himself has said\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"reflect\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eReflect\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#reflect\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe lifestyle comment just such a particularly relevant thing to me right now\nas God has brought changes to my work/career. In many ways my lifestyle is very\nfree from the \u003cstrong\u003elove of money\u003c/strong\u003e - we live below our means, give money away,\netc. But I know my heart is fickle, and if there\u0026rsquo;s not as much money as I think\nthere should be in our account I feel something in me that is most certainly\nsinful. I know what having more than we need is like, and to be honest with\nanyone - I do love that\u0026hellip; I don\u0026rsquo;t love money but I really enjoy the simplicity\nthat having too much money affords you in daily life. What will the next\nseveral years look like? I do not know exactly, I have no reason to have any\nactual concerns, and so my hope for myself is that God fills me with\ncontentment as I processed some the other day in\n\u003ca href=\"/reflection-contentment-and-work/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Reflection - Contentment and Work\" data-description=\"!!! note \u0026#34;Philippians 4:11\u0026#34;\" data-date=\"2026-02-16\" data-preview=\"!!! note \u0026#34;Philippians 4:11\u0026#34;\"\u003eReflection - Contentment and Work\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe work changes are welcome but it doesn\u0026rsquo;t feel \u003cstrong\u003enatural\u003c/strong\u003e to me to welcome\nthem. I think I can only call them welcome because of the second part of the\nverse that jumped out at me - \u0026ldquo;For he himself has said\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Word of the Lord ought to be a heavy thing to the Christian - to me. God\u0026rsquo;s\nWord is objectively more valuable than gold, and \u0026ldquo;he himself has said, \u0026lsquo;I will\nnever desert you, and I will never abandon you\u0026rsquo;\u0026rdquo;. My heavenly father has given\nme assurance through his own word, which he is bound by his own nature to be\ntrue to, that I am cared for. My life is evidence of this - so many examples of\nGod\u0026rsquo;s faithfulness to me and my family. He\u0026rsquo;s been so materially faithful that\nI\u0026rsquo;m not sure I can ever say I\u0026rsquo;ve learned any secret to contentment - God has\nsimply been so good to me has blessed me greatly. Between his word that\nhe\u0026rsquo;ll never forsake me and the record of faithfulness to me in my own life I\u0026rsquo;d\nhave to make a choice that flys in the face of data to not be content\u0026hellip; What\nis there for me to not be content over? Absolutely nothing!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eContentment has been on my mind a lot this week, there\u0026rsquo;s no reason for me to\nlack contentment, and no secret to lean into. I am, simply put, still a sinner\nand the love of money is the sin crouching at the door, waiting for me. By\nGod\u0026rsquo;s grace he continues to protect me, and I can calmly, with contentment and\nsatisfaction, walk through the next season of my life knowing that he himself\nhas said, he will never abandon me.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Hebrews 13:5\"\n\n Your lifestyle must be free from the love of money, being content with what you have. For he himself has said, “I will never desert you, and I will never abandon you.”\n\nHebrews is a long sermon and near the end of that sermon are some imperatives\nfor God's people. The Bible is anything but Basic Instructions Before Leaving\nEarth, but Hebrews 13 has some pretty basic instructions that are wise to\nremember. There are 2 in this verse to encourage me this morning:\n\n1. Your lifestyle must be free from the love of money\n2. For he himself has said\n\n## Reflect\n\nThe lifestyle comment just such a particularly relevant thing to me right now\nas God has brought changes to my work/career. In many ways my lifestyle is very\nfree from the **love of money** - we live below our means, give money away,\netc. But I know my heart is fickle, and if there's not as much money as I think\nthere should be in our account I feel something in me that is most certainly\nsinful. I know what having more than we need is like, and to be honest with\nanyone - I do love that... I don't love money but I really enjoy the simplicity\nthat having too much money affords you in daily life. What will the next\nseveral years look like? I do not know exactly, I have no reason to have any\nactual concerns, and so my hope for myself is that God fills me with\ncontentment as I processed some the other day in\n\u003ca href=\"/reflection-contentment-and-work/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Reflection - Contentment and Work\" data-description=\"!!! note \u0026#34;Philippians 4:11\u0026#34;\" data-date=\"2026-02-16\"\u003eReflection - Contentment and Work\u003c/a\u003e.\n\nThe work changes are welcome but it doesn't feel **natural** to me to welcome\nthem. I think I can only call them welcome because of the second part of the\nverse that jumped out at me - \"For he himself has said\".\n\nThe Word of the Lord ought to be a heavy thing to the Christian - to me. God's\nWord is objectively more valuable than gold, and \"he himself has said, 'I will\nnever desert you, and I will never abandon you'\". My heavenly father has given\nme assurance through his own word, which he is bound by his own nature to be\ntrue to, that I am cared for. My life is evidence of this - so many examples of\nGod's faithfulness to me and my family. He's been so materially faithful that\nI'm not sure I can ever say I've learned any secret to contentment - God has\nsimply been so good to me has blessed me greatly. Between his word that\nhe'll never forsake me and the record of faithfulness to me in my own life I'd\nhave to make a choice that flys in the face of data to not be content... What\nis there for me to not be content over? Absolutely nothing!\n\nContentment has been on my mind a lot this week, there's no reason for me to\nlack contentment, and no secret to lean into. I am, simply put, still a sinner\nand the love of money is the sin crouching at the door, waiting for me. By\nGod's grace he continues to protect me, and I can calmly, with contentment and\nsatisfaction, walk through the next season of my life knowing that he himself\nhas said, he will never abandon me.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Hebrews 13:5\"", "date_published": "2026-02-21T05:19:39Z", "date_modified": "2026-02-21T05:19:39Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "money", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-2-corinthians-7-6/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-2-corinthians-7-6/", "title": "Reflection - 2 Corinthians 7:6", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e2 Corinthians 7:6\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut God, who comforts the humble, comforted us by the coming of Titus,\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaul didn\u0026rsquo;t have to credit God as one \u0026ldquo;who comforts the humble\u0026rdquo; - he could\u0026rsquo;ve\njust praised God for the comfort brought through Titus showing up. But instead,\nPaul just tosses the nugget in there.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt a glance, maybe it looks like Paul is building himself, or his group, up by\nself-referencing as \u0026ldquo;humble\u0026rdquo;. But calling yourself humble isn\u0026rsquo;t the proud and\narrogant claim that it sounds like today\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.statically.io/gh/pypeaday/images.pype.dev/main/blog-media/20260220105727_535201a2.png\" alt=\"20260220105727_535201a2.png\"\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn reality - humility is an honest view of oneself, not in inflated \u003cstrong\u003eor\ndeflated\u003c/strong\u003e view - but I won\u0026rsquo;t digress farther than that\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaul isn\u0026rsquo;t bragging about his own humility, or claiming that \u003cstrong\u003ebecause he\u0026rsquo;s\nhumble\u003c/strong\u003e then God comforts him. No, the sense of the word ταπεινός (tapeinos)\nis downcast\u0026hellip; ie. someone in need of comfort.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaul is giving God praise, just naturally in his own language, as the one who\ncomforts people who need it. By God\u0026rsquo;s grace on my life, I believe I have seen a\nsimilar pattern - I even outlined in \u003ca href=\"/by-gods-grace/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"By God\u0026#39;s Grace\" data-description=\"!!! note \u0026#34;Style\u0026#34;\" data-date=\"2025-11-18\" data-preview=\"!!! note \u0026#34;Style\u0026#34;\"\u003eBy God's Grace\u003c/a\u003e regarding why I say \u0026ldquo;by\nGod\u0026rsquo;s grace\u0026rdquo; so often\u0026hellip; It\u0026rsquo;s just become apart of how I talk because the\noverflow of God\u0026rsquo;s love for me is made manifest in my language.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThank God for Paul, and for the work God does in his people to recognize his\nown Glory. And thank God that I can look back over 10 and 20 years and\nrecognize the work God has done in me that I might recognize his Glory as well.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod most certainly does comfort the downcast, no word is sweeter than his in my\near when things aren\u0026rsquo;t going my way. But why? It\u0026rsquo;s because his word to me is\nbuilt on a foundation (a decades old foundation at this point, by his grace) of\nlove. I have come to believe and know beyond any shadow of a doubt of God\u0026rsquo;s\nlove for me, and by his love I know that when I am downcast I am not forsaken,\nI\u0026rsquo;m just\u0026hellip; downcast. And God comforts me in those times. I don\u0026rsquo;t think it can\nmake sense without personal intimate knowledge of the Lord - no one could read\nthis and take seriously that the often silent comfort God brings is so\npowerful. Or, to be more related to the verse, that when we are comforted\nthrough each other, it is still then an act of grace by the Lord to bring that\ncomfort through another person. Without the adoption papers signed by Yahweh\nsignifying your sonship to the King, I do not believe that this comfort can\neven begin to make sense.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut by God\u0026rsquo;s grace, it makes sense to me, and praise the Name of the Lord for\nit.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"2 Corinthians 7:6\"\n\n But God, who comforts the humble, comforted us by the coming of Titus,...\n\nPaul didn't have to credit God as one \"who comforts the humble\" - he could've\njust praised God for the comfort brought through Titus showing up. But instead,\nPaul just tosses the nugget in there.\n\nAt a glance, maybe it looks like Paul is building himself, or his group, up by\nself-referencing as \"humble\". But calling yourself humble isn't the proud and\narrogant claim that it sounds like today...\n\n![20260220105727_535201a2.png](https://cdn.statically.io/gh/pypeaday/images.pype.dev/main/blog-media/20260220105727_535201a2.png)\n\nIn reality - humility is an honest view of oneself, not in inflated **or\ndeflated** view - but I won't digress farther than that...\n\nPaul isn't bragging about his own humility, or claiming that **because he's\nhumble** then God comforts him. No, the sense of the word ταπεινός (tapeinos)\nis downcast... ie. someone in need of comfort.\n\nPaul is giving God praise, just naturally in his own language, as the one who\ncomforts people who need it. By God's grace on my life, I believe I have seen a\nsimilar pattern - I even outlined in \u003ca href=\"/by-gods-grace/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"By God\u0026#39;s Grace\" data-description=\"!!! note \u0026#34;Style\u0026#34;\" data-date=\"2025-11-18\"\u003eBy God\u0026#39;s Grace\u003c/a\u003e regarding why I say \"by\nGod's grace\" so often... It's just become apart of how I talk because the\noverflow of God's love for me is made manifest in my language.\n\nThank God for Paul, and for the work God does in his people to recognize his\nown Glory. And thank God that I can look back over 10 and 20 years and\nrecognize the work God has done in me that I might recognize his Glory as well.\n\nGod most certainly does comfort the downcast, no word is sweeter than his in my\near when things aren't going my way. But why? It's because his word to me is\nbuilt on a foundation (a decades old foundation at this point, by his grace) of\nlove. I have come to believe and know beyond any shadow of a doubt of God's\nlove for me, and by his love I know that when I am downcast I am not forsaken,\nI'm just... downcast. And God comforts me in those times. I don't think it can\nmake sense without personal intimate knowledge of the Lord - no one could read\nthis and take seriously that the often silent comfort God brings is so\npowerful. Or, to be more related to the verse, that when we are comforted\nthrough each other, it is still then an act of grace by the Lord to bring that\ncomfort through another person. Without the adoption papers signed by Yahweh\nsignifying your sonship to the King, I do not believe that this comfort can\neven begin to make sense.\n\nBut by God's grace, it makes sense to me, and praise the Name of the Lord for\nit.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"2 Corinthians 7:6\"", "date_published": "2026-02-20T04:54:11Z", "date_modified": "2026-02-20T04:54:11Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "comfort", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/trials-reveal-faith-short/", "url": "https://pype.dev/trials-reveal-faith-short/", "title": "Trials Reveal Faith (short)", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003eSpurgeon\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;Morning and Evening\u0026rdquo; today ended with a poem:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003eTrials make the promise sweet;\nTrials give new life to prayer;\nTrials bring me to his feet,\nLay me low, and keep me there.\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTrials forge and reveal faith in our lives - faith in something that is\u0026hellip;\nYahweh uses trials as a megaphone to his people though. For those called into\nhis family, the trials of temporary life should, and for the true believer\n\u0026lsquo;do\u0026rsquo;, bring us closer to the King\u0026rsquo;s throne. The trial highlights a larger\nreality of existential need of a savior. Trials have severity because there are\ndifferent kinds, but the need for a King is of one \u003ca href=\"/kind/\" class=\"glossary-term\" title=\"kind - kubernetes in docker\" data-hover-title=\"kind\"\u003ekind\u003c/a\u003e. It is the highest and\nmost necessary need of us all, but not everyone knows it. Trials can reveal it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePraise the Lord for trials that bring us closer to him, for no trial of earth\ncan compare to the Glory of the King.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\nSpurgeon's \"Morning and Evening\" today ended with a poem:\n\n```\nTrials make the promise sweet;\nTrials give new life to prayer;\nTrials bring me to his feet,\nLay me low, and keep me there.\n```\n\nTrials forge and reveal faith in our lives - faith in something that is...\nYahweh uses trials as a megaphone to his people though. For those called into\nhis family, the trials of temporary life should, and for the true believer\n'do', bring us closer to the King's throne. The trial highlights a larger\nreality of existential need of a savior. Trials have severity because there are\ndifferent kinds, but the need for a King is of one kind. It is the highest and\nmost necessary need of us all, but not everyone knows it. Trials can reveal it.\n\nPraise the Lord for trials that bring us closer to him, for no trial of earth\ncan compare to the Glory of the King.\n", "summary": "Spurgeon's \"Morning and Evening\" today ended with a poem:", "date_published": "2026-02-18T06:19:07Z", "date_modified": "2026-02-18T06:19:07Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "trials", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-contentment-and-work/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-contentment-and-work/", "title": "Reflection - Contentment and Work", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePhilippians 4:11\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot that I speak from need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"context\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eContext\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#context\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis verse showing up in Spurgeon\u0026rsquo;s \u003cstrong\u003eMorning and Evening\u003c/strong\u003e is a divine\ngrace to me. Today is a significant day in a journey God has had me on towards\ncontentment. The circumstances of that journey, the specifics, are known to\nsome but I can still speak generally enough about it in this reflection because\nthe generalities are not unique to me - anymore than the requirement to\n\u003cstrong\u003elearn\u003c/strong\u003e contentment, for it\u0026rsquo;s not a natural state for a man.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor me, like a lot of others, it\u0026rsquo;s about money right now. Over the last few\nyears I\u0026rsquo;ve been able to make a pretty significant income and God has blessed me\nthrough the work I\u0026rsquo;ve done, but something I have noticed is the work itself has\nfelt less and less blessed, and more like a burden as the goal became money. I want\nto be a billionaire and never concern myself with a financial struggle - but\nthis is childish thinking. The last few years have shown me that I can work, a\nlot, and make money, also a lot (relatively speaking). I don\u0026rsquo;t feel as though\nI\u0026rsquo;ve wasted time necessarily, the \u003cem\u003eamount\u003c/em\u003e of work and the \u003cem\u003etime\u003c/em\u003e the work\ntakes are different things. But where I may have recovered some of the time in\noverworking, I certainly gave up other things: fulfilment and excellence to\nname the top 2. As I\u0026rsquo;ve not been content, and have striven for more it\u0026rsquo;s become\nclear that \u003cstrong\u003ewanting more\u003c/strong\u003e is itself a burden.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday marks the end of some income that I\u0026rsquo;ve been able to work for - not all of\nit, I\u0026rsquo;m extremely blessed in \u003ca href=\"/cat-autonomy-2-0/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Cat Autonomy 2.0\" data-description=\"I wrote about my new role new-job-caterpillar-autonomy a bit a couple weeks ago during an insanely busy time - having just started the role and wrapping up...\" data-date=\"2026-02-09\" data-preview=\"I wrote about my new role new-job-caterpillar-autonomy a bit a couple weeks ago during an insanely busy time - having just started the role and wrapping up...\"\u003eCat Autonomy 2.0\u003c/a\u003e. The facts are though that\nthrough the circumstances God has brought me recently, I\u0026rsquo;ll be making less than\n50% of what I\u0026rsquo;ve been able to make over the last couple years\u0026hellip; By God\u0026rsquo;s grace\nwe still have more than enough, and by his grace again today is a significant\nday for me to step through a doorway of contentment and officially realign my\nwork priorities with the worldview Jesus has called me into.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"contentment-and-work\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eContentment and Work\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#contentment-and-work\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have been sort of fighting off a belief that I\u0026rsquo;m on a literal mission from\nGod in Caterpillar Autonomy\u0026hellip; If someone could see my inner-monologue play out\nthey\u0026rsquo;d certainly get Blues Brothers vibes\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.statically.io/gh/pypeaday/images.pype.dev@main/blog-media/On%20A%20Mission%20From%20God%20%5BMKZSqd5Y8nA%5D.gif\" alt=\"On A Mission From God.mp4\"\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI hope I\u0026rsquo;m not just reaching for some grand facetious meaning for the work I\u0026rsquo;m\nnow doing to distract myself from the changes coming to my paycheck. It really\nfeels to me like God has prepared me in many ways for the work that\u0026rsquo;s in front\nme. I\u0026rsquo;m thankful for that preparation and now it seems like it\u0026rsquo;s time to give\nup the desires for riches and focus on doing something more than closing\ntickets and supporting a small team of people.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs God calls me to contentment in my personal life, I think he\u0026rsquo;s also planning\non blessing the work I\u0026rsquo;m doing. Earlier I said I have been very blessed by the\nwork I have been able to do, but I don\u0026rsquo;t know that God has blessed\nthe work itself - much of what I\u0026rsquo;ve done was filled with mistakes you only\nlearn by doing something the first time\u0026hellip; Certainly in some ways he has\nblessed those things, but I see something \u0026ldquo;just bigger\u0026rdquo; in Cat Autonomy, and I\nthink I\u0026rsquo;m here to play a real role in it\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition danger\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003emaybe like Joseph in Egypt\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003elike I said - literal mission from God\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;ve had to give-up some pay to play that role, but the Lord has taught (and is\nteaching) me that there\u0026rsquo;s much more to work than a paycheck, more to life than money.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is easy, very easy, for me to roll out of this line-of-thinking, I\u0026rsquo;ve done\nit several times even while writing this\u0026hellip; but I am sure contentment is\nsomething the Lord has for me. Today\u0026rsquo;s significance is just a temporal\nmilestone, a date that was approaching at a constant rate of change\u0026hellip; The day\nis here, today\u0026rsquo;s meditation is on contentment, and the Lord is doing a work in\nand through me. Amen.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Philippians 4:11\"\n\n Not that I speak from need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.\n\n## Context\n\nThis verse showing up in Spurgeon's **Morning and Evening** is a divine\ngrace to me. Today is a significant day in a journey God has had me on towards\ncontentment. The circumstances of that journey, the specifics, are known to\nsome but I can still speak generally enough about it in this reflection because\nthe generalities are not unique to me - anymore than the requirement to\n**learn** contentment, for it's not a natural state for a man.\n\nFor me, like a lot of others, it's about money right now. Over the last few\nyears I've been able to make a pretty significant income and God has blessed me\nthrough the work I've done, but something I have noticed is the work itself has\nfelt less and less blessed, and more like a burden as the goal became money. I want\nto be a billionaire and never concern myself with a financial struggle - but\nthis is childish thinking. The last few years have shown me that I can work, a\nlot, and make money, also a lot (relatively speaking). I don't feel as though\nI've wasted time necessarily, the _amount_ of work and the _time_ the work\ntakes are different things. But where I may have recovered some of the time in\noverworking, I certainly gave up other things: fulfilment and excellence to\nname the top 2. As I've not been content, and have striven for more it's become\nclear that **wanting more** is itself a burden.\n\nToday marks the end of some income that I've been able to work for - not all of\nit, I'm extremely blessed in \u003ca href=\"/cat-autonomy-2-0/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Cat Autonomy 2.0\" data-description=\"I wrote about my new role new-job-caterpillar-autonomy a bit a couple weeks ago during an insanely busy time - having just started the role and wrapping up...\" data-date=\"2026-02-09\"\u003eCat Autonomy 2.0\u003c/a\u003e. The facts are though that\nthrough the circumstances God has brought me recently, I'll be making less than\n50% of what I've been able to make over the last couple years... By God's grace\nwe still have more than enough, and by his grace again today is a significant\nday for me to step through a doorway of contentment and officially realign my\nwork priorities with the worldview Jesus has called me into.\n\n## Contentment and Work\n\nI have been sort of fighting off a belief that I'm on a literal mission from\nGod in Caterpillar Autonomy... If someone could see my inner-monologue play out\nthey'd certainly get Blues Brothers vibes...\n\n![On A Mission From God.mp4](https://cdn.statically.io/gh/pypeaday/images.pype.dev@main/blog-media/On%20A%20Mission%20From%20God%20%5BMKZSqd5Y8nA%5D.gif)\n\nI hope I'm not just reaching for some grand facetious meaning for the work I'm\nnow doing to distract myself from the changes coming to my paycheck. It really\nfeels to me like God has prepared me in many ways for the work that's in front\nme. I'm thankful for that preparation and now it seems like it's time to give\nup the desires for riches and focus on doing something more than closing\ntickets and supporting a small team of people.\n\nAs God calls me to contentment in my personal life, I think he's also planning\non blessing the work I'm doing. Earlier I said I have been very blessed by the\nwork I have been able to do, but I don't know that God has blessed\nthe work itself - much of what I've done was filled with mistakes you only\nlearn by doing something the first time... Certainly in some ways he has\nblessed those things, but I see something \"just bigger\" in Cat Autonomy, and I\nthink I'm here to play a real role in it\n\n!!! danger \"maybe like Joseph in Egypt\"\n\n like I said - literal mission from God\n\nI've had to give-up some pay to play that role, but the Lord has taught (and is\nteaching) me that there's much more to work than a paycheck, more to life than money.\n\nIt is easy, very easy, for me to roll out of this line-of-thinking, I've done\nit several times even while writing this... but I am sure contentment is\nsomething the Lord has for me. Today's significance is just a temporal\nmilestone, a date that was approaching at a constant rate of change... The day\nis here, today's meditation is on contentment, and the Lord is doing a work in\nand through me. Amen.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Philippians 4:11\"", "date_published": "2026-02-16T05:42:13Z", "date_modified": "2026-02-16T05:42:13Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "contentment", "faith", "work" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/the-ridiculous-blessing-of-the-lord/", "url": "https://pype.dev/the-ridiculous-blessing-of-the-lord/", "title": "The Ridiculous Blessing of the Lord", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003eI went to sit down this morning with a cup of coffee and do a meditation like I\ntry to do at least a few times a week. I meditate on the Bible, on God\u0026rsquo;s word\nbecause I believe it is God\u0026rsquo;s word - and what a shallow belief it\u0026rsquo;d be if I\nknew nothing about the Word. For the last few years this has been the normal\nway I spend time with Jesus, and he has brought comfort and guidance to me, not\nthrough new knowledge necessarily, but through perspective and wisdom.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis feels almost like a lazy way out of hardened theological study, a practice\nI hope to come back to before too long, but through semi-regular reflection,\nmeditation, and writing Jesus has done a lot of good to my heart.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI hope it wouldn\u0026rsquo;t take years of the Lord\u0026rsquo;s work on my heart to recognize the\nblessing in my life, but left to my own devices I certainly look at what he\u0026rsquo;s\ngiven me and still desire more. So, that wish is certainly nothing more than a\nfancy - and praise God for that, because it only further shows my need for him.\nHe works on me every day and by God\u0026rsquo;s grace the blessings in my life are pretty\nflipping clear.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe passage I was going to meditate on this morning was 2 Corinthians 1:5\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e2 Corinthians 1:5\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, thus through Christ our comfort overflows also.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy God\u0026rsquo;s grace, \u0026ldquo;suffering\u0026rdquo;\u0026quot; isn\u0026rsquo;t something I feel very \u0026ldquo;connected to\u0026rdquo; - it\u0026rsquo;s\nnot something I feel a deep current need to meditate on (right now). I have been\nbrought through many trials, just like a lot of people, and my story isn\u0026rsquo;t full\nof only stupendous highs, but I do feel like it\u0026rsquo;s a bit easier for me today to\nresonate with Paul\u0026rsquo;s words in Romans 8.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eRomans 8:18\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn God\u0026rsquo;s good grace on my life he is showing me day by day the glory that will\nbe revealed. He shows me through daily blessing of work - where my family is\nmore-than-provided for via gifts and talents he\u0026rsquo;s given me. He shows me through\nmy family, who love me in my mistakes and celebrate my wins. He shows me\nthrough my wife specifically, who wants my holiness more than my happiness but\nin that support she often increases both.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are sufferings in my life that Jesus has used as a means to bring comfort\nto others - I think that\u0026rsquo;s one of the points of the larger 2 Corinthians\npassage. However, in that same breath in the quietness of my office with this\ncup of mushroom-coffee, I can say that the sufferings he\u0026rsquo;s brought me through\npale in comparison to just the glory he has already revealed to me, and that\nmeans the glory \u0026ldquo;that is about to be revealed\u0026rdquo; can be only greater.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe blessing of the Lord on my life and family is beyond insane. And my prayer\nis just that I (and my family) would see it. This is on my mind because of a\nsimple event the other day - an interview and job-offer. I didn\u0026rsquo;t take this\njob, if you\u0026rsquo;re new here I\u0026rsquo;m in \u003ca href=\"/cat-autonomy-2-0/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Cat Autonomy 2.0\" data-description=\"I wrote about my new role new-job-caterpillar-autonomy a bit a couple weeks ago during an insanely busy time - having just started the role and wrapping up...\" data-date=\"2026-02-09\" data-preview=\"I wrote about my new role new-job-caterpillar-autonomy a bit a couple weeks ago during an insanely busy time - having just started the role and wrapping up...\"\u003eCat Autonomy 2.0\u003c/a\u003e (a story of its own filled\nwith divine grace and provision). However, getting a job isn\u0026rsquo;t exactly an easy\nthing right now - and in the Lord\u0026rsquo;s blessing on my life I\u0026rsquo;ve had multiple\nopportunities. I mentioned the offer to my wife and her only response was \u0026ldquo;The\nLord is too good to us\u0026rdquo;. And she\u0026rsquo;s right - he is.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePraise God for blessings, and praise him for sufferings. I pray today for\nmyself he keeps my eyes and heart focused on what I can do with excellence and\nfor his glory. I also pray for continued blessing and favor - it isn\u0026rsquo;t a sin to\nwant things to be going well\u0026hellip; May God bring peace and favor to anyone reading\nthis - favor through adoption and peace through the strength and power of the\ncreator-God.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\nI went to sit down this morning with a cup of coffee and do a meditation like I\ntry to do at least a few times a week. I meditate on the Bible, on God's word\nbecause I believe it is God's word - and what a shallow belief it'd be if I\nknew nothing about the Word. For the last few years this has been the normal\nway I spend time with Jesus, and he has brought comfort and guidance to me, not\nthrough new knowledge necessarily, but through perspective and wisdom.\n\nThis feels almost like a lazy way out of hardened theological study, a practice\nI hope to come back to before too long, but through semi-regular reflection,\nmeditation, and writing Jesus has done a lot of good to my heart.\n\nI hope it wouldn't take years of the Lord's work on my heart to recognize the\nblessing in my life, but left to my own devices I certainly look at what he's\ngiven me and still desire more. So, that wish is certainly nothing more than a\nfancy - and praise God for that, because it only further shows my need for him.\nHe works on me every day and by God's grace the blessings in my life are pretty\nflipping clear.\n\nThe passage I was going to meditate on this morning was 2 Corinthians 1:5\n\n!!! note \"2 Corinthians 1:5\"\n\n For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, thus through Christ our comfort overflows also.\n\nBy God's grace, \"suffering\"\" isn't something I feel very \"connected to\" - it's\nnot something I feel a deep current need to meditate on (right now). I have been\nbrought through many trials, just like a lot of people, and my story isn't full\nof only stupendous highs, but I do feel like it's a bit easier for me today to\nresonate with Paul's words in Romans 8.\n\n!!! note \"Romans 8:18\"\n\n For I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us.\n\nIn God's good grace on my life he is showing me day by day the glory that will\nbe revealed. He shows me through daily blessing of work - where my family is\nmore-than-provided for via gifts and talents he's given me. He shows me through\nmy family, who love me in my mistakes and celebrate my wins. He shows me\nthrough my wife specifically, who wants my holiness more than my happiness but\nin that support she often increases both.\n\nThere are sufferings in my life that Jesus has used as a means to bring comfort\nto others - I think that's one of the points of the larger 2 Corinthians\npassage. However, in that same breath in the quietness of my office with this\ncup of mushroom-coffee, I can say that the sufferings he's brought me through\npale in comparison to just the glory he has already revealed to me, and that\nmeans the glory \"that is about to be revealed\" can be only greater.\n\nThe blessing of the Lord on my life and family is beyond insane. And my prayer\nis just that I (and my family) would see it. This is on my mind because of a\nsimple event the other day - an interview and job-offer. I didn't take this\njob, if you're new here I'm in \u003ca href=\"/cat-autonomy-2-0/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Cat Autonomy 2.0\" data-description=\"I wrote about my new role new-job-caterpillar-autonomy a bit a couple weeks ago during an insanely busy time - having just started the role and wrapping up...\" data-date=\"2026-02-09\"\u003eCat Autonomy 2.0\u003c/a\u003e (a story of its own filled\nwith divine grace and provision). However, getting a job isn't exactly an easy\nthing right now - and in the Lord's blessing on my life I've had multiple\nopportunities. I mentioned the offer to my wife and her only response was \"The\nLord is too good to us\". And she's right - he is.\n\nPraise God for blessings, and praise him for sufferings. I pray today for\nmyself he keeps my eyes and heart focused on what I can do with excellence and\nfor his glory. I also pray for continued blessing and favor - it isn't a sin to\nwant things to be going well... May God bring peace and favor to anyone reading\nthis - favor through adoption and peace through the strength and power of the\ncreator-God.\n", "summary": "I went to sit down this morning with a cup of coffee and do a meditation like I try to do at least a few times a week. I meditate on the Bible, on God's word...", "date_published": "2026-02-12T04:25:38Z", "date_modified": "2026-02-12T04:25:38Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "family", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-arise-and-depart/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-arise-and-depart/", "title": "Reflection - Arise and Depart", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003eSpurgeon\u0026rsquo;s \u003cstrong\u003eMorning and Evening\u003c/strong\u003e reflection for this morning is Micah 2:10 \u0026ldquo;Arise, and depart\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003econtext\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTypical note about reflections not being deep study. Also noting that Spurgeon\u0026rsquo;s meditations are often about what comes to mind from the words of a verse (or part of it) as opposed to the context of the verse.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eMicah 2:10\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArise and go, for this is no resting place, on account of uncleanness that destroys with painful destruction.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo the context of the rest of the verse isn\u0026rsquo;t that consistent with the\ndirection of Spurgon\u0026rsquo;s meditation but nonetheless his springboard is good to\nthink about\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSomeday everyone of us will answer the call to \u0026ldquo;arise and go\u0026rdquo; - death comes for\nus all but death isn\u0026rsquo;t itself an existential end, it is the time to obey the\nLord. At his word, I will leave the world and go to where he calls me. This is\ntrue for everyone, it\u0026rsquo;s an inescapable part of the reality that Yahweh has\ncreated for all Creation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDeath fills some with dread, but for the Christian it\u0026rsquo;s the passage to\neternity. We live (or \u0026ldquo;are to live\u0026rdquo;) in Heaven today - Jesus brought Heaven to\nearth. But his life, death, and resurrection did not \u003cstrong\u003efully\u003c/strong\u003e bring Heaven to\nearth - the melding is happening, the reunification of Heaven and earth as it\nwas in Eden is taking place, and when he comes again the kingdom will be\nconsummated.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo we live unto his Name and glory, because it\u0026rsquo;s the best thing\nfor humanity. And at the end of our living on this present earth, God calls\neveryone to the next phase of reality. What awaits those who do not believe?\nand who haven\u0026rsquo;t been chosen? I really wouldn\u0026rsquo;t claim to know concrete facts\nbeyond the truth that \u0026ldquo;they are not citizens of heaven, and so they do not live with\nthe Lord\u0026rdquo;. But what awaits the Christian? That\u0026rsquo;s a much easier answer to take a\nstand on - those loved by Jesus are not left dead in the cold dark underground,\nwe are called to the skies - to glory and to the kingdom.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI think this thought of future unification with the Lord, in a newly\nconsummated kingdom, when Death is dead and there is no more competition\namongst the gods, when all Creation is in right relationship with the King -\nthis thought should bring joy and anticipation to the Christian, to me.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLet me work for the glory of God today, with the right perspective that at any\nmoment I could be called away from this work (my family, my home, my job, etc.)\nand to the next thing Jesus would have me do. I look forward to the call to\n\u0026ldquo;Arise and go\u0026rdquo; and I pray that the future hope of the Kingdom fills me today\nwith joy and motivation to live a godly life and that death never looks like\nanything other than a river to cross with new life on the other side.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\nSpurgeon's **Morning and Evening** reflection for this morning is Micah 2:10 \"Arise, and depart\".\n\n!!! note \"context\"\n\n Typical note about reflections not being deep study. Also noting that Spurgeon's meditations are often about what comes to mind from the words of a verse (or part of it) as opposed to the context of the verse.\n\n!!! note \"Micah 2:10\"\n\n Arise and go, for this is no resting place, on account of uncleanness that destroys with painful destruction.\n\nSo the context of the rest of the verse isn't that consistent with the\ndirection of Spurgon's meditation but nonetheless his springboard is good to\nthink about...\n\nSomeday everyone of us will answer the call to \"arise and go\" - death comes for\nus all but death isn't itself an existential end, it is the time to obey the\nLord. At his word, I will leave the world and go to where he calls me. This is\ntrue for everyone, it's an inescapable part of the reality that Yahweh has\ncreated for all Creation.\n\nDeath fills some with dread, but for the Christian it's the passage to\neternity. We live (or \"are to live\") in Heaven today - Jesus brought Heaven to\nearth. But his life, death, and resurrection did not **fully** bring Heaven to\nearth - the melding is happening, the reunification of Heaven and earth as it\nwas in Eden is taking place, and when he comes again the kingdom will be\nconsummated.\n\nSo we live unto his Name and glory, because it's the best thing\nfor humanity. And at the end of our living on this present earth, God calls\neveryone to the next phase of reality. What awaits those who do not believe?\nand who haven't been chosen? I really wouldn't claim to know concrete facts\nbeyond the truth that \"they are not citizens of heaven, and so they do not live with\nthe Lord\". But what awaits the Christian? That's a much easier answer to take a\nstand on - those loved by Jesus are not left dead in the cold dark underground,\nwe are called to the skies - to glory and to the kingdom.\n\nI think this thought of future unification with the Lord, in a newly\nconsummated kingdom, when Death is dead and there is no more competition\namongst the gods, when all Creation is in right relationship with the King -\nthis thought should bring joy and anticipation to the Christian, to me.\n\nLet me work for the glory of God today, with the right perspective that at any\nmoment I could be called away from this work (my family, my home, my job, etc.)\nand to the next thing Jesus would have me do. I look forward to the call to\n\"Arise and go\" and I pray that the future hope of the Kingdom fills me today\nwith joy and motivation to live a godly life and that death never looks like\nanything other than a river to cross with new life on the other side.\n", "summary": "Spurgeon's ** reflection for this morning is Micah 2:10 \"Arise, and depart\".", "date_published": "2026-02-07T04:37:12Z", "date_modified": "2026-02-07T04:37:12Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "reflection", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/revel-in-imparted-righteousness/", "url": "https://pype.dev/revel-in-imparted-righteousness/", "title": "Revel in imparted righteousness", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003eSpurgeon\u0026rsquo;s Morning and Evening today is from Jeremiah 23:6.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition warning\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eWarning\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAgain with these reflections, I\u0026quot;m not an OT scholar and I don\u0026rsquo;t know, or\ndidn\u0026rsquo;t do a lot of search on, the context of the passage. This isn\u0026rsquo;t\neducational, this if a reflection on what God brings to mind through his Word\nand my time with him, not teaching about the historical context of where the\nwords in Jeremiah 23 actually affect the story\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJeremiah 23:6\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this\nis the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"the-lord-is-our-righteousness\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eThe Lord is our righteousness\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#the-lord-is-our-righteousness\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere\u0026rsquo;s a lot of tension in the details of the story of the world in how humans\nand God relate to each other. On one hand, God created everything, and he\ncreated humans with a unique purpose to be his seen-imagers in the physical\nworld who carry out his will. On the other hand, humans take that position of\nprivilege and often destroy the world in our sin and dismay. The theology\nsurrounding this tension is the thing that can affect the Christian\u0026rsquo;s daily\nlife\u0026hellip; As I walk through the world, am I more aware of my position as God\u0026rsquo;s\nchild, with responsibility to bear his Name and steward the earth, or am I more\naware of my sin and the fact that I often make choices Jesus wouldn\u0026rsquo;t be proud\nof? Both things are true, but where I put my mind and heart drives if I have a\ncontented smile on my face or if my brow is sweaty and scunched up in\nfrustration.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI think that if we somehow filtered our view to all \u0026ldquo;true Christians\u0026rdquo; we\u0026rsquo;d see\nthat a majority of them lean in on emphasizing their sin because it is the\nthing that makes Jesus\u0026rsquo; work necessary - it is the un-overcomable thing that we\nhave to be saved from and Glory to God! for saving us. But on the daily, not\nputting equal emphasis on the next step of the story, which is that in God\u0026rsquo;s\nsaving he imparts the righteousness of Jesus right onto us, is a disservice to\nus as God\u0026rsquo;s children.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI want my kids to be proud and secure in their name and place as my kids. I\ndon\u0026rsquo;t want them to spend their energy focusing on where they have contributed\nchaos and disorder to my life, I want them to focus on the things they do worth\nbeing proud of, and there\u0026rsquo;s grace for the rest. I think this must be true of\nthe Lord as well - without a doubt I am a sinner and a wretch who, left to my\nown devices, would end up a drunken addict lying in the street somewhere\u0026hellip; but\nwhy would I \u003cstrong\u003efocus\u003c/strong\u003e on that when Yahweh chooses me, imparts Jesus'\nrighteousness to me, adopts me as his own! The reality of my sin is reality,\nbut the reality of Jesus\u0026rsquo; grace on my life is no less true. Christians\nshouldn\u0026rsquo;t be ignorant of the sin they carry and the choices they make which\ndishonor God, but we also shouldn\u0026rsquo;t be ignorant of the grace God shows to us!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have noticed in my life, as the scales have tipped somewhat in favor of\nfocusing \u003cstrong\u003emore\u003c/strong\u003e on Yahweh adopting me as opposed to focusing on where I fall\nshort of the glory of God, that\u0026rsquo;s it\u0026rsquo;s more natural for me to be joyful about\nalmost anything in the world (worth experiencing joy over)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMay Jesus call you today if you\u0026rsquo;re reading this and he hasnt\u0026rsquo; yet, and if he\nhas may joy follow your acknowledgement of your adoption rather than sorrow\nover your previous state. Glory to God in the highest!\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\nSpurgeon's Morning and Evening today is from Jeremiah 23:6.\n\n!!! warning \"\"\n\n Again with these reflections, I\"m not an OT scholar and I don't know, or\n didn't do a lot of search on, the context of the passage. This isn't\n educational, this if a reflection on what God brings to mind through his Word\n and my time with him, not teaching about the historical context of where the\n words in Jeremiah 23 actually affect the story\n\n!!! note \"Jeremiah 23:6\"\n\n In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this\n is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’\n\n## The Lord is our righteousness\n\nThere's a lot of tension in the details of the story of the world in how humans\nand God relate to each other. On one hand, God created everything, and he\ncreated humans with a unique purpose to be his seen-imagers in the physical\nworld who carry out his will. On the other hand, humans take that position of\nprivilege and often destroy the world in our sin and dismay. The theology\nsurrounding this tension is the thing that can affect the Christian's daily\nlife... As I walk through the world, am I more aware of my position as God's\nchild, with responsibility to bear his Name and steward the earth, or am I more\naware of my sin and the fact that I often make choices Jesus wouldn't be proud\nof? Both things are true, but where I put my mind and heart drives if I have a\ncontented smile on my face or if my brow is sweaty and scunched up in\nfrustration.\n\nI think that if we somehow filtered our view to all \"true Christians\" we'd see\nthat a majority of them lean in on emphasizing their sin because it is the\nthing that makes Jesus' work necessary - it is the un-overcomable thing that we\nhave to be saved from and Glory to God! for saving us. But on the daily, not\nputting equal emphasis on the next step of the story, which is that in God's\nsaving he imparts the righteousness of Jesus right onto us, is a disservice to\nus as God's children.\n\nI want my kids to be proud and secure in their name and place as my kids. I\ndon't want them to spend their energy focusing on where they have contributed\nchaos and disorder to my life, I want them to focus on the things they do worth\nbeing proud of, and there's grace for the rest. I think this must be true of\nthe Lord as well - without a doubt I am a sinner and a wretch who, left to my\nown devices, would end up a drunken addict lying in the street somewhere... but\nwhy would I **focus** on that when Yahweh chooses me, imparts Jesus'\nrighteousness to me, adopts me as his own! The reality of my sin is reality,\nbut the reality of Jesus' grace on my life is no less true. Christians\nshouldn't be ignorant of the sin they carry and the choices they make which\ndishonor God, but we also shouldn't be ignorant of the grace God shows to us!\n\nI have noticed in my life, as the scales have tipped somewhat in favor of\nfocusing **more** on Yahweh adopting me as opposed to focusing on where I fall\nshort of the glory of God, that's it's more natural for me to be joyful about\nalmost anything in the world (worth experiencing joy over)\n\nMay Jesus call you today if you're reading this and he hasnt' yet, and if he\nhas may joy follow your acknowledgement of your adoption rather than sorrow\nover your previous state. Glory to God in the highest!\n", "summary": "Spurgeon's Morning and Evening today is from Jeremiah 23:6.", "date_published": "2026-01-31T05:45:42Z", "date_modified": "2026-01-31T05:45:42Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "reflection", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-john-7-37/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-john-7-37/", "title": "Reflection - John 7:37", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJohn 7:37\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow on the last day of the feast—the great day—Jesus stood and cried out,\nsaying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and let him drink,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"the-last-day\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eThe Last Day\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#the-last-day\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo, today obviously isn\u0026rsquo;t the last day of a feast Jesus is speaking at, I don\u0026rsquo;t\nmean to impose anything beyond a trivial relationship between \u0026ldquo;the last day\u0026rdquo;\nand today being New Year\u0026rsquo;s Eve. The reflection is for reflecting, not education\nand so today I pray the Lord be good to me in meditating on this text this\nmorning.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"jesus-cried-out\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eJesus Cried Out\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#jesus-cried-out\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYahweh longs for all people to be reconciled to him. It\u0026rsquo;s a fact that that\nwon\u0026rsquo;t be the case because of the degrees of wills that can coexist even though\nthe mechanism of their relationship is hidden from us -\n\u003ca href=\"/the-hidden-things-belong-to-yahweh/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"The Hidden Things Belong To Yahweh\" data-description=\"!!! note \u0026#34;Deuteronomy 29:29\u0026#34;\" data-date=\"2025-12-29\" data-preview=\"!!! note \u0026#34;Deuteronomy 29:29\u0026#34;\"\u003eThe Hidden Things Belong To Yahweh\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, a clear truth here is that \u0026ldquo;Jesus cried out\u0026rdquo;. His voice goes out, loud\nand all around, to all people within ear-shot - \u0026ldquo;If anyone is thirsty, let him\ncome to me\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition warning\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eWarning\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf anyone is thirsty\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus gives no qualifiers on who his message goes out to - it\u0026rsquo;s the dad of 6\nkids nailing it, the wife of of a businessman maintaining her home, the harlot\ntrying to wreck that home, the prostitute on the corner, the corrupt politician\n(even Paul was called)\u0026hellip; Jesus\u0026rsquo; voice goes out to \u0026ldquo;anyone\u0026rdquo;\u0026hellip; So who am I to\nthink that my standing as a righteous person before God by the grace of the\nblood of Jesus has anything to do with who I am? His call goes out to\n\u003cstrong\u003eanyone\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo what is for me today? or for the person who is reading this? I don\u0026rsquo;t know\u0026hellip;\nJesus has been so good to me, and I also want all people to know him. I want\nevery person to experience being freed from their sinful master, freed from\nthemselves. I believe that if all people gave their lives to Jesus the world\nwould be healed over night. That fantasy land doesnt\u0026rsquo; exist though, and Jesus'\ncall has gone out to anyone and everyone - but the time for that call is coming\nto a close and when he comes back it\u0026rsquo;ll be to redeem his own.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s one thing to be invited to a wedding feast. The invitation has gone out.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s another thing stand between a loving husband and his captive bride, or a\nwarrior father and his oppressed child. That is the position of every person\nwhen the Lord comes back whose knee is not already bowed.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe New Year brings a time of reflection about life, what to start, what to\nstop. Jesus has been good to my heart in this year - creating a genuine\ndesire for all people to experience him. I hope that anyone reading this or any\nof my posts might hear God\u0026rsquo;s calling through what he\u0026rsquo;s done in my life.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis call went out to \u003cstrong\u003eanyone\u003c/strong\u003e but he redeems \u003cstrong\u003ehis own\u003c/strong\u003e, may you accept\nadoption today.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"John 7:37\"\n\n Now on the last day of the feast—the great day—Jesus stood and cried out,\n saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and let him drink,\n\n## The Last Day\n\nSo, today obviously isn't the last day of a feast Jesus is speaking at, I don't\nmean to impose anything beyond a trivial relationship between \"the last day\"\nand today being New Year's Eve. The reflection is for reflecting, not education\nand so today I pray the Lord be good to me in meditating on this text this\nmorning.\n\n## Jesus Cried Out\n\nYahweh longs for all people to be reconciled to him. It's a fact that that\nwon't be the case because of the degrees of wills that can coexist even though\nthe mechanism of their relationship is hidden from us -\n\u003ca href=\"/the-hidden-things-belong-to-yahweh/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"The Hidden Things Belong To Yahweh\" data-description=\"!!! note \u0026#34;Deuteronomy 29:29\u0026#34;\" data-date=\"2025-12-29\"\u003eThe Hidden Things Belong To Yahweh\u003c/a\u003e.\n\nHowever, a clear truth here is that \"Jesus cried out\". His voice goes out, loud\nand all around, to all people within ear-shot - \"If anyone is thirsty, let him\ncome to me\".\n\n!!! warning \"\"\n\n If anyone is thirsty\n\nJesus gives no qualifiers on who his message goes out to - it's the dad of 6\nkids nailing it, the wife of of a businessman maintaining her home, the harlot\ntrying to wreck that home, the prostitute on the corner, the corrupt politician\n(even Paul was called)... Jesus' voice goes out to \"anyone\"... So who am I to\nthink that my standing as a righteous person before God by the grace of the\nblood of Jesus has anything to do with who I am? His call goes out to\n**anyone**.\n\nSo what is for me today? or for the person who is reading this? I don't know...\nJesus has been so good to me, and I also want all people to know him. I want\nevery person to experience being freed from their sinful master, freed from\nthemselves. I believe that if all people gave their lives to Jesus the world\nwould be healed over night. That fantasy land doesnt' exist though, and Jesus'\ncall has gone out to anyone and everyone - but the time for that call is coming\nto a close and when he comes back it'll be to redeem his own.\n\nIt's one thing to be invited to a wedding feast. The invitation has gone out.\n\nIt's another thing stand between a loving husband and his captive bride, or a\nwarrior father and his oppressed child. That is the position of every person\nwhen the Lord comes back whose knee is not already bowed.\n\nThe New Year brings a time of reflection about life, what to start, what to\nstop. Jesus has been good to my heart in this year - creating a genuine\ndesire for all people to experience him. I hope that anyone reading this or any\nof my posts might hear God's calling through what he's done in my life.\n\nHis call went out to **anyone** but he redeems **his own**, may you accept\nadoption today.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"John 7:37\"", "date_published": "2025-12-31T05:05:36Z", "date_modified": "2025-12-31T05:05:36Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/the-hidden-things-belong-to-yahweh/", "url": "https://pype.dev/the-hidden-things-belong-to-yahweh/", "title": "The Hidden Things Belong To Yahweh", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eDeuteronomy 29:29\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe hidden things belong to Yahweh our God, but the revealed things belong to us to know and to our children forever, in order to do all the words of this law.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere is a truth every Christian should meditate on and remember whenever they\nfind themselves so sure of a biblical teaching. There are things not meant for\nus to know - not that we cannot enjoy the musings, but we need to rightly\nunderstand that there are mechanisms in the world that are only known to\nYahweh. Just like my daughters have no actual understanding of how they became\nmy daughters, or how money shows up in our account every month, or how water\ncomes to our house\u0026hellip; These things are beyond their scope of existence to be\nhonest, and there are analogous things that we fully-grown mature adults need\nto recognize are beyond us and are for the Lord, only.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is not an excuse or encouragement though to never be sure of a\nconviction\u0026hellip; there most certainly are \u0026ldquo;revealed things [that] belong to us\nto know\u0026rdquo;. So the Christian needs to graciously approach the things we can\u0026rsquo;t run\naway from, but also recognize that our understanding is, by nature of our\nexistence, limited.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe truth a lot of us wrestle with, and probably not very well, is\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoteriology\u003c/strong\u003e - the theology of salvation. There are a number of things that\ngo into the mechanism of receiving salvation from the Lord: a regenerated\nheart, faith in Jesus alone, confession, and the process of becomming more like\nJesus (sanctification). However, the \u003cstrong\u003eorder by which\u003c/strong\u003e these things happen has\nbeen a long-debated issue in the Church and has led to a lot of\nChristian-division.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m not going to claim to understnad the [orto salutis] but what I can do is\nrecognize a reality in my life, perhaps even somewhat contradictory realties,\nand given that objective truth of those realities I\u0026rsquo;ll have to eventually\nrecognize that the intimate understanding and knowledge of the inner-workings\nof those realities is hidden from me.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt goes like this - no one can choose Yahweh on their own. We are born into death and decay:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eEphesians 2:1\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd you, although you were dead in your trespasses and sins,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eRomans 3:23\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efor all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo inconvenient truth number 1: you are dead, dead people can\u0026rsquo;t make choices or\ndo anything\u0026hellip; but surely \u0026ldquo;dead in your tresspasses\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;fall short of the\nglory of God\u0026rdquo; are just indicators that we can\u0026rsquo;t live a perfectly \u0026ldquo;good\u0026rdquo; life\u0026hellip;\nno?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWell, it won\u0026rsquo;t really matter and here\u0026rsquo;s why:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJohn 14:6\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo here\u0026rsquo;s the thing - either Jesus is the son of God or he isn\u0026rsquo;t\u0026hellip; Simple\nbinary truth. If he\u0026rsquo;s \u003cstrong\u003enot\u003c/strong\u003e the son of God, then half of this blog is\nworthless and Paul\u0026rsquo;s words that Christians should lbe pitied above all people\nwould never be more true\u0026hellip; But if Jesus \u003cstrong\u003eis the son of God\u003c/strong\u003e and his words\n\u003cstrong\u003eare actual truth\u003c/strong\u003e then you really need to wrestle with it, if only for a\nsecond\u0026hellip; He\u0026rsquo;s either a crazy liar, or literally God. This truth, or the option\nof which of these things are true, are 100% unavoidable for every person to\ndeal with. Like, you have to make a choice - either accept what Jesus says, or\ndon\u0026rsquo;t.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut that actually brings up the tension - you can\u0026rsquo;t accept it unless Yahweh\ngives you over to Jesus.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJohn 6:37–40\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEveryone whom the Father gives to me will come to me, and the one who comes\nto me I will never throw out, 38 because I have come down from heaven not that\nI should do my will, but the will of the one who sent me. 39 Now this is the\nwill of the one who sent me: that everyone whom he has given me, I would not\nlose any of them, but raise them up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of\nmy Father, that everyone who looks at the Son and believes in him would have\neternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo\u0026hellip; is the one born destined to not believe simply destined for hell? What\n\u003ca href=\"/kind/\" class=\"glossary-term\" title=\"kind - kubernetes in docker\" data-hover-title=\"kind\"\u003ekind\u003c/a\u003e of loving God is that?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe answer there is actually pretty simple - he\u0026rsquo;s a loving father. I wrote a\nlittle bit about this via analogies to my own life as a parent in\n\u003ca href=\"/advent-2025-love/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Advent 2025 - Love\" data-description=\"!!! note \u0026#34;1 John 4:7–10 (CSB)\u0026#34;\" data-date=\"2025-12-07\" data-preview=\"!!! note \u0026#34;1 John 4:7–10 (CSB)\u0026#34;\"\u003eAdvent 2025 - Love\u003c/a\u003e. Essentially as a dad, I take my own kids home from the\nplayground every day, not your kids. Likewise, God will redeem his own\u0026hellip; It\u0026rsquo;s\nliterally a perfectly reasonable expectation of a dad.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"hidden-vs-revealed\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eHidden vs. Revealed\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#hidden-vs-revealed\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat is for us and what is for God alone then (as we discuss Soteriology)? A\nlot. And in this case I\u0026rsquo;m not even sure where to draw the line but here is a\nsimple list of truths that \u003cstrong\u003eare true\u003c/strong\u003e even though I couldn\u0026rsquo;t explain with\nevery nuance - how?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI hated God - every unregenerate person does, it is \u003cstrong\u003eonly natural\u003c/strong\u003e to hate\nwhat you\u0026rsquo;re opposed to. Being born into sin and death necessarily means you\nare are opposed to life and godliness.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI now love God - my personal story here is a picture of God\u0026rsquo;s providence -\nsee \u003ca href=\"/helkyo-what-is-it-for-god-to-draw-man-to-him/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Helkyo - What is it for God to draw man to him?\" data-description=\"In John 6 there is a curious phrase about how the Father initiates the process of Salvation in the hearts of men.\" data-date=\"2025-10-27\" data-preview=\"In John 6 there is a curious phrase about how the Father initiates the process of Salvation in the hearts of men.\"\u003eHelkyo - What is it for God to draw man to him?\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYahweh desires for all people to be reconciled (1 Peter)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNot everyone believes in Jesus - which means there are people destined for\nhell\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere\u0026rsquo;s what I think is hidden\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe reasons which God chooses some and not others - thank the Lord this is\nnot for me to know\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe mechanism by which my heart is able to make a \u003cstrong\u003efree\u003c/strong\u003e choice, out of my\nown agency, not to initially believe in Jesus, but every day to lay my life\ndown before him (as I do or do not live faithfully to him)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhat reality of \u0026ldquo;hell\u0026rdquo; there is to be predestined to\u0026hellip; I cannot deny at all\nthat not all people are chosen by God, not all people will enter the\nCelestial City\u0026hellip; But what of the others? I genuinely do not know, but I have a\nlot of confidence that the fire and torture crowd are missing some stuff.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"fin\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eFin\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#fin\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePraise the Lord that there are things beyond us to know\u0026hellip; It is comforting to\nknow that Jesus loves me, and I don\u0026rsquo;t need to know much more beyond that. Just\nlike one of my biggest desires is for my daughters to trust me because of my\nlove for them, in the same way is how I find and am comforted by the Lord. If\nyou\u0026rsquo;re reading this and haven\u0026rsquo;t heard him call your name, maybe sit and listen.\nWhen Jesus called Lazarus from the grave, he might\u0026rsquo;ve had the choice whether to\nwalk out or not, but he didn\u0026rsquo;t have the choice to not wake-up. If the Lord\nawakens your heart today, may you make the choice to walk out of the grave and\ninto new life.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Deuteronomy 29:29\"\n\n The hidden things belong to Yahweh our God, but the revealed things belong to us to know and to our children forever, in order to do all the words of this law.\n\nHere is a truth every Christian should meditate on and remember whenever they\nfind themselves so sure of a biblical teaching. There are things not meant for\nus to know - not that we cannot enjoy the musings, but we need to rightly\nunderstand that there are mechanisms in the world that are only known to\nYahweh. Just like my daughters have no actual understanding of how they became\nmy daughters, or how money shows up in our account every month, or how water\ncomes to our house... These things are beyond their scope of existence to be\nhonest, and there are analogous things that we fully-grown mature adults need\nto recognize are beyond us and are for the Lord, only.\n\nThis is not an excuse or encouragement though to never be sure of a\nconviction... there most certainly are \"revealed things \\[that\\] belong to us\nto know\". So the Christian needs to graciously approach the things we can't run\naway from, but also recognize that our understanding is, by nature of our\nexistence, limited.\n\nThe truth a lot of us wrestle with, and probably not very well, is\n**Soteriology** - the theology of salvation. There are a number of things that\ngo into the mechanism of receiving salvation from the Lord: a regenerated\nheart, faith in Jesus alone, confession, and the process of becomming more like\nJesus (sanctification). However, the **order by which** these things happen has\nbeen a long-debated issue in the Church and has led to a lot of\nChristian-division.\n\nI'm not going to claim to understnad the [orto salutis] but what I can do is\nrecognize a reality in my life, perhaps even somewhat contradictory realties,\nand given that objective truth of those realities I'll have to eventually\nrecognize that the intimate understanding and knowledge of the inner-workings\nof those realities is hidden from me.\n\nIt goes like this - no one can choose Yahweh on their own. We are born into death and decay:\n\n!!! note \"Ephesians 2:1\"\n\n And you, although you were dead in your trespasses and sins,\n\n!!! note \"Romans 3:23\"\n\n for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,\n\nSo inconvenient truth number 1: you are dead, dead people can't make choices or\ndo anything... but surely \"dead in your tresspasses\" and \"fall short of the\nglory of God\" are just indicators that we can't live a perfectly \"good\" life...\nno?\n\nWell, it won't really matter and here's why:\n\n!!! note \"John 14:6\"\n\n Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.\n\nSo here's the thing - either Jesus is the son of God or he isn't... Simple\nbinary truth. If he's **not** the son of God, then half of this blog is\nworthless and Paul's words that Christians should lbe pitied above all people\nwould never be more true... But if Jesus **is the son of God** and his words\n**are actual truth** then you really need to wrestle with it, if only for a\nsecond... He's either a crazy liar, or literally God. This truth, or the option\nof which of these things are true, are 100% unavoidable for every person to\ndeal with. Like, you have to make a choice - either accept what Jesus says, or\ndon't.\n\nBut that actually brings up the tension - you can't accept it unless Yahweh\ngives you over to Jesus.\n\n!!! note \"John 6:37–40\"\n\n Everyone whom the Father gives to me will come to me, and the one who comes\n to me I will never throw out, 38 because I have come down from heaven not that\n I should do my will, but the will of the one who sent me. 39 Now this is the\n will of the one who sent me: that everyone whom he has given me, I would not\n lose any of them, but raise them up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of\n my Father, that everyone who looks at the Son and believes in him would have\n eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”\n\nSo... is the one born destined to not believe simply destined for hell? What\nkind of loving God is that?\n\nThe answer there is actually pretty simple - he's a loving father. I wrote a\nlittle bit about this via analogies to my own life as a parent in\n\u003ca href=\"/advent-2025-love/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Advent 2025 - Love\" data-description=\"!!! note \u0026#34;1 John 4:7–10 (CSB)\u0026#34;\" data-date=\"2025-12-07\"\u003eAdvent 2025 - Love\u003c/a\u003e. Essentially as a dad, I take my own kids home from the\nplayground every day, not your kids. Likewise, God will redeem his own... It's\nliterally a perfectly reasonable expectation of a dad.\n\n## Hidden vs. Revealed\n\nWhat is for us and what is for God alone then (as we discuss Soteriology)? A\nlot. And in this case I'm not even sure where to draw the line but here is a\nsimple list of truths that **are true** even though I couldn't explain with\nevery nuance - how?\n\n1. I hated God - every unregenerate person does, it is **only natural** to hate\n what you're opposed to. Being born into sin and death necessarily means you\n are are opposed to life and godliness.\n2. I now love God - my personal story here is a picture of God's providence -\n see \u003ca href=\"/helkyo-what-is-it-for-god-to-draw-man-to-him/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Helkyo - What is it for God to draw man to him?\" data-description=\"In John 6 there is a curious phrase about how the Father initiates the process of Salvation in the hearts of men.\" data-date=\"2025-10-27\"\u003eHelkyo - What is it for God to draw man to him?\u003c/a\u003e\n3. Yahweh desires for all people to be reconciled (1 Peter)\n4. Not everyone believes in Jesus - which means there are people destined for\n hell\n\nHere's what I think is hidden...\n\n1. The reasons which God chooses some and not others - thank the Lord this is\n not for me to know\n2. The mechanism by which my heart is able to make a **free** choice, out of my\n own agency, not to initially believe in Jesus, but every day to lay my life\n down before him (as I do or do not live faithfully to him)\n3. What reality of \"hell\" there is to be predestined to... I cannot deny at all\n that not all people are chosen by God, not all people will enter the\n Celestial City... But what of the others? I genuinely do not know, but I have a\n lot of confidence that the fire and torture crowd are missing some stuff.\n\n## Fin\n\nPraise the Lord that there are things beyond us to know... It is comforting to\nknow that Jesus loves me, and I don't need to know much more beyond that. Just\nlike one of my biggest desires is for my daughters to trust me because of my\nlove for them, in the same way is how I find and am comforted by the Lord. If\nyou're reading this and haven't heard him call your name, maybe sit and listen.\nWhen Jesus called Lazarus from the grave, he might've had the choice whether to\nwalk out or not, but he didn't have the choice to not wake-up. If the Lord\nawakens your heart today, may you make the choice to walk out of the grave and\ninto new life.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Deuteronomy 29:29\"", "date_published": "2025-12-29T05:47:22Z", "date_modified": "2025-12-29T05:47:22Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "deuteronomy", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-galatians-2-19-20/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-galatians-2-19-20/", "title": "Reflection - Galatians 2:19-20", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eGalatians 2:19-20\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e19 For through the law I died to the law, in order that I might live to\nGod. I have been crucified with Christ, 20 and I no longer live, but Christ\nlives in me, and that life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son\nof God, who loved me and gave himself for me.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is one of the most common verse-memory verses I think. Probably there\u0026rsquo;s\ngood reason for that - Paul has a lot to say to the Galatians, and these 2\nverses summarize one of the simple truths of the Gospel - the life a Christian\nis given is \u003cstrong\u003efreed from\u003c/strong\u003e the law of death and make alive to Jesus. The gospel\ntruth is that the law is no longer the thing we answer to - everyone will,\ncertainly. There\u0026rsquo;s no mistake to be made that every human has accountability\nfor their own agency. In our \u0026ldquo;free\u0026rdquo; will, bound to sin and death and to the law\nfor approval, we aren\u0026rsquo;t free at all but slaves to an oppressive overlord. Jesus\nfrees the Christian to live a life free from that oppression, in the\nlife-giving security of God\u0026rsquo;s adoption.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"who-love-me-and-gave-himself-for-me\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eWho love me and gave himself for me\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#who-love-me-and-gave-himself-for-me\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod adopts whoever he chooses. And the ones he chooses are then freely able to\nchoose him in return. Through the life-giving power of God\u0026rsquo;s sovereignty my\nlife can be fundamentally altered, my make-up changed, my family line updated.\nI am free to live my life by faith in Jesus, because he loved me and gave\nhimself for me.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Galatians 2:19-20\"\n\n 19 For through the law I died to the law, in order that I might live to\n God. I have been crucified with Christ, 20 and I no longer live, but Christ\n lives in me, and that life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son\n of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.\n\nThis is one of the most common verse-memory verses I think. Probably there's\ngood reason for that - Paul has a lot to say to the Galatians, and these 2\nverses summarize one of the simple truths of the Gospel - the life a Christian\nis given is **freed from** the law of death and make alive to Jesus. The gospel\ntruth is that the law is no longer the thing we answer to - everyone will,\ncertainly. There's no mistake to be made that every human has accountability\nfor their own agency. In our \"free\" will, bound to sin and death and to the law\nfor approval, we aren't free at all but slaves to an oppressive overlord. Jesus\nfrees the Christian to live a life free from that oppression, in the\nlife-giving security of God's adoption.\n\n## Who love me and gave himself for me\n\nGod adopts whoever he chooses. And the ones he chooses are then freely able to\nchoose him in return. Through the life-giving power of God's sovereignty my\nlife can be fundamentally altered, my make-up changed, my family line updated.\nI am free to live my life by faith in Jesus, because he loved me and gave\nhimself for me.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Galatians 2:19-20\"", "date_published": "2025-12-28T06:18:57Z", "date_modified": "2025-12-28T06:18:57Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "reflection", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/advent-1-john-4-17/", "url": "https://pype.dev/advent-1-john-4-17/", "title": "Advent - 1 John 4:17", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e1 John 4:17\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy this love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because just as that one is, so also are we in this world.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"confidence\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eConfidence\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#confidence\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;ve definitely written about confidence before outside this blog, it\u0026rsquo;s a key\nChristian theme. John mentions here in the middle of a bunch of stuff about\nlove as he is wrapping up this letter.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLove is beautiful, and over this Advent season I\u0026rsquo;ve reflected a lot on verse 19\n\u0026ldquo;We love, because he first loved us\u0026rdquo;. Because of God, his original love for you\nand me, his own power and majesty, his own right to rule and reign - because of\nall of that I am to \u0026ldquo;have confidence in the day of judgement\u0026rdquo;. Christmas isn\u0026rsquo;t\nso much about looking forward to a future time, it\u0026rsquo;s remembering that the time\nwe look forward to is already here in part. Jesus has already come, once. He\nbrought heaven to earth and undid much of the curse of separation placed on\nhumans at Eden. It\u0026rsquo;s because he\u0026rsquo;s already done it, because he loved me first,\nthat confidence can follow. No Christian should find themselves concerned about\ntheir position in front of the Lord any more than my daughter should ever be\nconcerned about her status as my daughter. There\u0026rsquo;s nothing she could do to\nseparate herself from my love for her, and there is nothing I can do to\nseparate myself from God\u0026rsquo;s love. In the binding of that love, is confidence for\nsecurity in the future. Not that all my bills are paid and I have a happy life\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ebut that in the ultimate sense, my purpose as an image-bearing Human will be\nfully realized, God\u0026rsquo;s plan fully carried out, in the end. And I don\u0026rsquo;t have to\nworry, because in his love I am secure, just like I hope that in my love my\ndaughters are secure.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChristians struggle with doubt, and that\u0026rsquo;s not a sin. John would encourage you\nto take hold of being God\u0026rsquo;s child, live that way, and in living like his child,\nhis love is revealed, and as it is revealed and perfected, confidence naturally\nfollows.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe aren\u0026rsquo;t guaranteed much about life, but I have zero valid reasons to doubt\nthe King who saved me and will continue to save me. May Jesus\u0026rsquo; name be great,\nhe is King, amen.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"1 John 4:17\"\n\n By this love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because just as that one is, so also are we in this world.\n\n## Confidence\n\nI've definitely written about confidence before outside this blog, it's a key\nChristian theme. John mentions here in the middle of a bunch of stuff about\nlove as he is wrapping up this letter.\n\nLove is beautiful, and over this Advent season I've reflected a lot on verse 19\n\"We love, because he first loved us\". Because of God, his original love for you\nand me, his own power and majesty, his own right to rule and reign - because of\nall of that I am to \"have confidence in the day of judgement\". Christmas isn't\nso much about looking forward to a future time, it's remembering that the time\nwe look forward to is already here in part. Jesus has already come, once. He\nbrought heaven to earth and undid much of the curse of separation placed on\nhumans at Eden. It's because he's already done it, because he loved me first,\nthat confidence can follow. No Christian should find themselves concerned about\ntheir position in front of the Lord any more than my daughter should ever be\nconcerned about her status as my daughter. There's nothing she could do to\nseparate herself from my love for her, and there is nothing I can do to\nseparate myself from God's love. In the binding of that love, is confidence for\nsecurity in the future. Not that all my bills are paid and I have a happy life\n\n- but that in the ultimate sense, my purpose as an image-bearing Human will be\n fully realized, God's plan fully carried out, in the end. And I don't have to\n worry, because in his love I am secure, just like I hope that in my love my\n daughters are secure.\n\nChristians struggle with doubt, and that's not a sin. John would encourage you\nto take hold of being God's child, live that way, and in living like his child,\nhis love is revealed, and as it is revealed and perfected, confidence naturally\nfollows.\n\nWe aren't guaranteed much about life, but I have zero valid reasons to doubt\nthe King who saved me and will continue to save me. May Jesus' name be great,\nhe is King, amen.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"1 John 4:17\"", "date_published": "2025-12-25T05:36:08Z", "date_modified": "2025-12-25T05:36:08Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "advent", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/advent-luke-6-35/", "url": "https://pype.dev/advent-luke-6-35/", "title": "Advent - Luke 6:35", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eLuke 6:35\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut love your enemies, and do good, and lend expecting back nothing, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is \u003ca href=\"/kind/\" class=\"glossary-term\" title=\"kind - kubernetes in docker\" data-hover-title=\"kind\"\u003ekind\u003c/a\u003e to the ungrateful and wicked.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"love-your-enemies\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eLove Your Enemies\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#love-your-enemies\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI was once an enemy of God, and even today still make choices that highlight\nenmity in my heart towards him. It\u0026rsquo;s what\u0026rsquo;s left-over, what will continue to\npersist (though I hope be minimized as much as possible) while waiting for\nHeaven to come to earth. Knowing and recognizing my own position - as a former\nenemy, makes it somewhat easy to read these words to \u0026ldquo;do good\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;expect nothing\nin return\u0026rdquo; from my enemies because God was good to me, and continues to be. So,\nI am the ungrateful and the wicked that he is kind to.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHow do I feel about that? Honestly, grateful but also a little ashamed. I\n\u003cstrong\u003eknow\u003c/strong\u003e who I am, and sometimes I choose to be who I was before. But God still\nloves me and my heart is glad to be in his favor.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Luke 6:35\"\n\n But love your enemies, and do good, and lend expecting back nothing, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.\n\n## Love Your Enemies\n\nI was once an enemy of God, and even today still make choices that highlight\nenmity in my heart towards him. It's what's left-over, what will continue to\npersist (though I hope be minimized as much as possible) while waiting for\nHeaven to come to earth. Knowing and recognizing my own position - as a former\nenemy, makes it somewhat easy to read these words to \"do good\" and \"expect nothing\nin return\" from my enemies because God was good to me, and continues to be. So,\nI am the ungrateful and the wicked that he is kind to.\n\nHow do I feel about that? Honestly, grateful but also a little ashamed. I\n**know** who I am, and sometimes I choose to be who I was before. But God still\nloves me and my heart is glad to be in his favor.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Luke 6:35\"", "date_published": "2025-12-23T05:17:05Z", "date_modified": "2025-12-23T05:17:05Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "advent", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/advent-mark-12-29-30/", "url": "https://pype.dev/advent-mark-12-29-30/", "title": "Advent - Mark 12:29-30", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eMark 12:29-30\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart and from your whole soul and from your whole mind and from your whole strength.’\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"the-most-important-commandment\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eThe Most Important Commandment\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#the-most-important-commandment\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eDeuteronomy 6:4-5\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e4 “Hear, Israel, Yahweh our God, Yahweh is unique. 5 And you shall love Yahweh your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your might.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus quotes the Shema as the most important commandment - not really\nsurprising\u0026hellip; Yahweh\u0026rsquo;s authority and divine kingship is the most important\nreality to affirm. Along with recognizing the authority and Oneness of Yahweh\nis the command the love him. ie. Not loving him is \u003cstrong\u003enot\u003c/strong\u003e recognizing his\nauthority\u0026hellip; Again, not a surprising thing to hear a king say.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo he says the most important thing is to love Yahweh Elohim (the Lord your\nGod) with everything. This calls Paul\u0026rsquo;s words about transformation to mind -\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eRomans 12:1-2\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTherefore I exhort you, brothers, through the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may approve what is the good and well-pleasing and perfect will of God.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaul says that to offer ourselves as a \u003cstrong\u003eliving sacraifice\u003c/strong\u003e (strong language, no?)\nis our \u003cstrong\u003ereasonable service\u003c/strong\u003e\u0026hellip; If we think about Jesus\u0026rsquo; words that the \u003cstrong\u003emost\nimportant commandment\u003c/strong\u003e is to love God with everything, then Paul\u0026rsquo;s words here\nin Romans are honestly just a natural outpouring of that priority - that we are\nto offer \u003cstrong\u003eeverything\u003c/strong\u003e back to him.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne lens through which to view this is simply gratitude\u0026hellip; If you are given\neverything by someone, of course you\u0026rsquo;d seek to show your thanks. Part of the\nhuman experience for the Christian, I think anyways, is the maturing and\nrealization of \u003cstrong\u003ehow much\u003c/strong\u003e God has given, and how much he has saved me from. This\nmaturity leads me to love God more deeply\u0026hellip; It\u0026rsquo;s as if my perspective on what\nhe\u0026rsquo;s done for me grows, so too my love for him grows.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition success\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eSuccess\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u0026ldquo;everything\u0026rdquo; I have to offer increases as I become more aware of everything he\u0026rsquo;s given.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePraise God for the mercies on my life, the greatest of which is the freedom to\noffer myself to him. In the bonds of sin and shame I\u0026rsquo;m not free to crawl up\nonto the altar as a living sacrifice. But God, in his grace, brought me to\nlife. He animated my body, makes it sacred space, and in the life-giving power\nof Jesus\u0026rsquo; resurrection and the Holy Spirit I should walk myself to the altar\nand lay myself down. The most important command for me is to love him with\neverything, and praise the Lord I am free to do so.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Mark 12:29-30\"\n\n 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart and from your whole soul and from your whole mind and from your whole strength.’\n\n## The Most Important Commandment\n\n!!! note \"Deuteronomy 6:4-5\"\n\n 4 “Hear, Israel, Yahweh our God, Yahweh is unique. 5 And you shall love Yahweh your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your might.\n\nJesus quotes the Shema as the most important commandment - not really\nsurprising... Yahweh's authority and divine kingship is the most important\nreality to affirm. Along with recognizing the authority and Oneness of Yahweh\nis the command the love him. ie. Not loving him is **not** recognizing his\nauthority... Again, not a surprising thing to hear a king say.\n\nSo he says the most important thing is to love Yahweh Elohim (the Lord your\nGod) with everything. This calls Paul's words about transformation to mind -\n\n!!! note \"Romans 12:1-2\"\n\n Therefore I exhort you, brothers, through the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may approve what is the good and well-pleasing and perfect will of God.\n\nPaul says that to offer ourselves as a **living sacraifice** (strong language, no?)\nis our **reasonable service**... If we think about Jesus' words that the **most\nimportant commandment** is to love God with everything, then Paul's words here\nin Romans are honestly just a natural outpouring of that priority - that we are\nto offer **everything** back to him.\n\nOne lens through which to view this is simply gratitude... If you are given\neverything by someone, of course you'd seek to show your thanks. Part of the\nhuman experience for the Christian, I think anyways, is the maturing and\nrealization of **how much** God has given, and how much he has saved me from. This\nmaturity leads me to love God more deeply... It's as if my perspective on what\nhe's done for me grows, so too my love for him grows.\n\n!!! success \"\"\n\n The \"everything\" I have to offer increases as I become more aware of everything he's given.\n\nPraise God for the mercies on my life, the greatest of which is the freedom to\noffer myself to him. In the bonds of sin and shame I'm not free to crawl up\nonto the altar as a living sacrifice. But God, in his grace, brought me to\nlife. He animated my body, makes it sacred space, and in the life-giving power\nof Jesus' resurrection and the Holy Spirit I should walk myself to the altar\nand lay myself down. The most important command for me is to love him with\neverything, and praise the Lord I am free to do so.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Mark 12:29-30\"", "date_published": "2025-12-21T05:41:55Z", "date_modified": "2025-12-21T05:41:55Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "advent", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/advent-romans-15-13/", "url": "https://pype.dev/advent-romans-15-13/", "title": "Advent - Romans 15:13", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eRomans 15:13\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe last 3 weeks of Advent are summarized right here in verse 13. Yahweh is the\nGod of hope, of expectation, he brings Joy through redemption, and Peace to the\nbeliever through faith. That Joy and Peace lead us to \u0026ldquo;abound in hope\u0026rdquo;\nourselves, by the power of the Holy Spirit.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat a dense sentence\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe last several days and months have been heavy, and praise God for Christmas\nand Advent right now, which is daily reorienting my eyes to Jesus. I\u0026rsquo;m waking\nup everyday thinking about work, the next thing to do, my next project,\nretirement, why am I so sweaty in the morning?\u0026hellip; But after a few deep breaths,\neventually making my way to my desk with a cup of coffee and a sense of\ndirection to start my day, I\u0026rsquo;ve been sitting down and reflecting not just on\nsome random passage from a devotional, but through this Advent season\nregularly, daily, reflecting on the core themes. By God\u0026rsquo;s grace this has been a\ngreat gift to me, and without this daily (or mostly daily) reorientation, I am\nsure the stress I do still feel would be multiplied by orders of magnitude.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe light the Love candle tomorrow, but today is good for me to wrap up the last\n3 weeks with this simple verse. I know God loves me, this next week of\nreflection I look forward to what he shares with me. And today the Word of God\nreminds me that hope, joy, and peace are apart of God\u0026rsquo;s design for our lives.\nThose things are found and fulfilled in the Person and Work of Jesus. He then\nleft us the helper, the Holy Spirit, to carry us forward while we wait for his\nreturn. Today, it\u0026rsquo;s in the Spirit\u0026rsquo;s power that God\u0026rsquo;s hope may overflow our\nhearts, and if we\u0026hellip; if I am overflowing with hope and love and peace in Jesus,\nthen I sure hope more that the \u0026ldquo;Christmas Cheer\u0026rdquo; God gives to me does a\npartnering work in bringing Heaven to earth while we expectantly wait for the\nreturn of the King.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Romans 15:13\"\n\n Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.\n\nThe last 3 weeks of Advent are summarized right here in verse 13. Yahweh is the\nGod of hope, of expectation, he brings Joy through redemption, and Peace to the\nbeliever through faith. That Joy and Peace lead us to \"abound in hope\"\nourselves, by the power of the Holy Spirit.\n\nWhat a dense sentence...\n\nThe last several days and months have been heavy, and praise God for Christmas\nand Advent right now, which is daily reorienting my eyes to Jesus. I'm waking\nup everyday thinking about work, the next thing to do, my next project,\nretirement, why am I so sweaty in the morning?... But after a few deep breaths,\neventually making my way to my desk with a cup of coffee and a sense of\ndirection to start my day, I've been sitting down and reflecting not just on\nsome random passage from a devotional, but through this Advent season\nregularly, daily, reflecting on the core themes. By God's grace this has been a\ngreat gift to me, and without this daily (or mostly daily) reorientation, I am\nsure the stress I do still feel would be multiplied by orders of magnitude.\n\nWe light the Love candle tomorrow, but today is good for me to wrap up the last\n3 weeks with this simple verse. I know God loves me, this next week of\nreflection I look forward to what he shares with me. And today the Word of God\nreminds me that hope, joy, and peace are apart of God's design for our lives.\nThose things are found and fulfilled in the Person and Work of Jesus. He then\nleft us the helper, the Holy Spirit, to carry us forward while we wait for his\nreturn. Today, it's in the Spirit's power that God's hope may overflow our\nhearts, and if we... if I am overflowing with hope and love and peace in Jesus,\nthen I sure hope more that the \"Christmas Cheer\" God gives to me does a\npartnering work in bringing Heaven to earth while we expectantly wait for the\nreturn of the King.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Romans 15:13\"", "date_published": "2025-12-20T05:36:26Z", "date_modified": "2025-12-20T05:36:26Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "advent", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/advent-matthew-5-11-12/", "url": "https://pype.dev/advent-matthew-5-11-12/", "title": "Advent - Matthew 5:11-12", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eMatthew 5:11-12\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e11 Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things against you, lying on account of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"context\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eContext\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#context\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo drop some context that I\u0026rsquo;m familiar with, this is from a famous section of\nJesus\u0026rsquo; \u0026ldquo;Sermon on the Mount\u0026rdquo; called \u0026ldquo;The Beatitudes\u0026rdquo;. A little unknown fact in\na lot of Christian circles is that these phrases from Matthew 5:3-12 are\nderived from some ancient Jewish wisdom (esus didn\u0026rsquo;t come up with these on the\nfly). Most of these saying come from something called \u0026ldquo;The Book of Wisdom\u0026rdquo;\nand they had a history of being used as a way of defining who was close to God\nand who wasn\u0026rsquo;t. Jesus takes the ancient and perverted pseudo-wisdom here and\nturns it on its head. He\u0026rsquo;s not giving instructions, he\u0026rsquo;s giving correction to\npeople who have been abused by civic and religious powers at be.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"reflection\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eReflection\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#reflection\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo I know Jesus is not saying I should go out and pursue persecution and\nslander. Nor is he saying that just because someone might be mean to me for my\nfaith, that I\u0026rsquo;m practicing my faith in an appropriate way.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut what Jesus is doing is acknowledging that the world fundamentally does\nreject him. Ultimately, at a level more foundational than the atoms that make\nup the universe, creation is broken right now. It\u0026rsquo;s being redeemed, but it\u0026rsquo;s\nalso broken. In its broken state, like a body that is sick, it might reject\nthings that are good for it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHumans are apart of creation, humans are apart of what is broken, and humans,\nin our brokenness, reject ultimate goodness by our very broken nature. Jesus\nsays that when the world persecutes us because of him, it\u0026rsquo;s a simple truth made\nmanifest\u0026hellip; The broken world continues to reject Jesus, and as you or I are\nbrought further into the fold of God\u0026rsquo;s family, then those outside, those still under\nthe crushing, oppressive thumb of sin and death, can not\nhelp but carry out their natural inclination against that which is good. It is\nquite literally only natural.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo should I find myself offended when someone naturally rejects me on account\nof Jesus\u0026rsquo; presence in my life? I think I should instead almost pity them, and\npray that Jesus calls their name too.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Matthew 5:11-12\"\n\n 11 Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things against you, lying on account of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.\n\n## Context\n\nTo drop some context that I'm familiar with, this is from a famous section of\nJesus' \"Sermon on the Mount\" called \"The Beatitudes\". A little unknown fact in\na lot of Christian circles is that these phrases from Matthew 5:3-12 are\nderived from some ancient Jewish wisdom (esus didn't come up with these on the\nfly). Most of these saying come from something called \"The Book of Wisdom\"\nand they had a history of being used as a way of defining who was close to God\nand who wasn't. Jesus takes the ancient and perverted pseudo-wisdom here and\nturns it on its head. He's not giving instructions, he's giving correction to\npeople who have been abused by civic and religious powers at be.\n\n## Reflection\n\nSo I know Jesus is not saying I should go out and pursue persecution and\nslander. Nor is he saying that just because someone might be mean to me for my\nfaith, that I'm practicing my faith in an appropriate way.\n\nBut what Jesus is doing is acknowledging that the world fundamentally does\nreject him. Ultimately, at a level more foundational than the atoms that make\nup the universe, creation is broken right now. It's being redeemed, but it's\nalso broken. In its broken state, like a body that is sick, it might reject\nthings that are good for it.\n\nHumans are apart of creation, humans are apart of what is broken, and humans,\nin our brokenness, reject ultimate goodness by our very broken nature. Jesus\nsays that when the world persecutes us because of him, it's a simple truth made\nmanifest... The broken world continues to reject Jesus, and as you or I are\nbrought further into the fold of God's family, then those outside, those still under\nthe crushing, oppressive thumb of sin and death, can not\nhelp but carry out their natural inclination against that which is good. It is\nquite literally only natural.\n\nSo should I find myself offended when someone naturally rejects me on account\nof Jesus' presence in my life? I think I should instead almost pity them, and\npray that Jesus calls their name too.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Matthew 5:11-12\"", "date_published": "2025-12-18T05:08:56Z", "date_modified": "2025-12-18T05:08:56Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "advent", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/advent-john-15-10-11/", "url": "https://pype.dev/advent-john-15-10-11/", "title": "Advent - John 15:10-11", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJohn 15:10-11\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e10 If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have spoken these things to you in order that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be made complete.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a beautiful couple verses about love that have only made more and more\nsense to me as I get older and I have become a dad.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCommandments are not necessarily about \u003cem\u003econtrol\u003c/em\u003e. I see this illogical line of thinking\nEVERYWHERE - that advocating for rules and boundaries in life can quickly get\nconflated with \u0026ldquo;you want to control me/them!\u0026rdquo;. I think the general population really\nfails to understand that the lack of boundaries doesn\u0026rsquo;t make you free, it turns\nyou into a slave of your most powerful desire. It is literally in the human-nature.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRandom boundaries though are not helpful or loving\u0026hellip; Restriction without\npurpose, or for \u003cem\u003ethe wrong\u003c/em\u003e reason, can put you into a situation you weren\u0026rsquo;t\ndesigned to be in. I believe humans were created according to a design, and\nlike anything else with a purpose there are appropriate ways and places to\nlive, be, act, etc. as well as inappropriate ways and places. The\nappropriatedness can only be determined by the one who knows the design\nthough\u0026hellip;. otherwise someone is just guessing what the purposeful boundary or\nrestriction is.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the case of our own reality, the architect of the universe is Jesus himself,\nand in his divine knowledge of all of Creation he gives commandments\n(boundaries and regulations) that are in \u003cstrong\u003eperfect alignment with our design\nand purpose\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom here it sounds so simple\u0026hellip; The commandments from the Lord come from an\nunderstanding of what is \u003cstrong\u003eactually best for the human life\u003c/strong\u003e. Because Jesus\n\u003cstrong\u003eactually knows better than you or me\u003c/strong\u003e when we are in line with his\ncommandments, when we \u0026ldquo;remain in [his] love\u0026rdquo;, we are more in-line with our\ncreated purpose than when we think we know better for ourselves. It\u0026rsquo;s\npractically a law of nature that things work best when used for their created\npurpose, and in the human-design I think it\u0026rsquo;s no different. Jesus offers the\nframework for the fulfilled human life - it\u0026rsquo;s not attainable without the\nfreedom to love him, but for the chosen - his joy follows love and freedom.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition danger\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eFor who?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe life of freedom is only fully possible for whoever Jesus picks. Without\nhim awakening your heart to love what is truely lovely and hate what is truely\ndespicable then you\u0026rsquo;ll never want anything that he offers. The\nunderstanding of \u0026ldquo;his way is better\u0026rdquo; is only possible in the mind and heart of\nthe person whom Jesus raises to life out of the chaotic ocean of death.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday God gives me the freedom to keep his commandments. I\u0026rsquo;ll make my choice\nmoment by moment and pray continuously that he sustains my trust in him - to\nignore my dead-self\u0026rsquo;s desires and instead to keep the commandments of the Lord\nso that my joy may be made complete\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"John 15:10-11\"\n\n 10 If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have spoken these things to you in order that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be made complete.\n\nThis is a beautiful couple verses about love that have only made more and more\nsense to me as I get older and I have become a dad.\n\nCommandments are not necessarily about _control_. I see this illogical line of thinking\nEVERYWHERE - that advocating for rules and boundaries in life can quickly get\nconflated with \"you want to control me/them!\". I think the general population really\nfails to understand that the lack of boundaries doesn't make you free, it turns\nyou into a slave of your most powerful desire. It is literally in the human-nature.\n\nRandom boundaries though are not helpful or loving... Restriction without\npurpose, or for _the wrong_ reason, can put you into a situation you weren't\ndesigned to be in. I believe humans were created according to a design, and\nlike anything else with a purpose there are appropriate ways and places to\nlive, be, act, etc. as well as inappropriate ways and places. The\nappropriatedness can only be determined by the one who knows the design\nthough.... otherwise someone is just guessing what the purposeful boundary or\nrestriction is.\n\nIn the case of our own reality, the architect of the universe is Jesus himself,\nand in his divine knowledge of all of Creation he gives commandments\n(boundaries and regulations) that are in **perfect alignment with our design\nand purpose**\n\nFrom here it sounds so simple... The commandments from the Lord come from an\nunderstanding of what is **actually best for the human life**. Because Jesus\n**actually knows better than you or me** when we are in line with his\ncommandments, when we \"remain in [his] love\", we are more in-line with our\ncreated purpose than when we think we know better for ourselves. It's\npractically a law of nature that things work best when used for their created\npurpose, and in the human-design I think it's no different. Jesus offers the\nframework for the fulfilled human life - it's not attainable without the\nfreedom to love him, but for the chosen - his joy follows love and freedom.\n\n!!! danger \"For who?\"\n\n The life of freedom is only fully possible for whoever Jesus picks. Without\n him awakening your heart to love what is truely lovely and hate what is truely\n despicable then you'll never want anything that he offers. The\n understanding of \"his way is better\" is only possible in the mind and heart of\n the person whom Jesus raises to life out of the chaotic ocean of death.\n\nToday God gives me the freedom to keep his commandments. I'll make my choice\nmoment by moment and pray continuously that he sustains my trust in him - to\nignore my dead-self's desires and instead to keep the commandments of the Lord\nso that my joy may be made complete\n", "summary": "!!! note \"John 15:10-11\"", "date_published": "2025-12-17T05:39:34Z", "date_modified": "2025-12-17T05:39:34Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "advent", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/advent-luke-2-10-11/", "url": "https://pype.dev/advent-luke-2-10-11/", "title": "Advent - Luke 2:10-11", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eLuke 2:10-11\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e10 And the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring good news to you of great joy which will be for all the people: 11 that today a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, was born for you in the city of David.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Luke 2:10-11\"\n\n 10 And the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring good news to you of great joy which will be for all the people: 11 that today a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, was born for you in the city of David.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Luke 2:10-11\"", "date_published": "2025-12-16T04:55:33Z", "date_modified": "2025-12-16T04:55:33Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "advent", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/advent-isaiah-51-3/", "url": "https://pype.dev/advent-isaiah-51-3/", "title": "Advent - Isaiah 51:3", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eIsaiah 51:1-3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, who seek Yahweh. Look to\nthe rock from which you were hewn, and to the excavation of the pit from which\nyou were quarried.\n2 Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah; she brought\nyou forth. For I called him alone, but I blessed him and made him numerous.”\n3 For Yahweh will comfort Zion; he will comfort all its sites of ruins. And\nhe will make its wilderness like Eden, and its desert like the garden of\nYahweh. Joy and gladness will be found in it, thanksgiving and the sound of\nsong.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"joy-in-the-father\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eJoy in the Father\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#joy-in-the-father\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the heels of yesterday, I\u0026rsquo;m still struggling with Joy, but here in Isaiah\nsome context aligns Joy with Gladness (which feels very much in-line with my\nassociation of Gratitude with Happiness).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo where will joy and gladness be found? It sounds to me like \u0026ldquo;Zion\u0026rdquo;. Zion is\nthe Mountain of God. In the ANE gods lived on high mountain tops with lush\ngardens. Think of the cartoon example of Hercules with the pantheon up on\nOlympus.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eZion is also the people of God - even today we sometimes use national or ethnic\ntitles to refer to the people of that area. National leaders may address the\ncitizens of America by saying \u0026ldquo;Listen to me, America\u0026rdquo; or something like that -\nI think my point is that we\u0026rsquo;d all \u0026ldquo;get it\u0026rdquo; in that moment. In a similar way,\nthat communication shouldn\u0026rsquo;t be lost on us here.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe prophet is speaking to \u0026ldquo;you who pursue righteousness, who seek Yahweh\u0026hellip;\nYahweh will comfort Zion (you)\u0026hellip;\u0026rdquo;. In that comfort is 2 things from this\npassage: Election and Legacy.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eElection\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;Look to the rock from which you were hewn\u0026hellip;\u0026rdquo;. Does the rock decide which\npieces are chiseled away and which pieces remain? Of course not, the sculptor\nor foreman does that. In, honestly, the same way - who am I to have chosen God\non my own\u0026hellip; Without his hand coming to the rock to separate me (any anyone\nelse in the Lord) I would forever remain stagnant in my cold, hard, dead state.\nBut Yahweh chooses - and what can follow his choice to hewn me from the rock?\nWhy, it\u0026rsquo;s nothing but Joy and Gladness!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eLegacy\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah; she brought you forth\u0026rdquo;. God\u0026rsquo;s\npeople have a long legacy, a real legacy, to look back on and be encouraged by\nGod\u0026rsquo;s faithfulness in his election. The legacy isn\u0026rsquo;t just back to \u0026ldquo;Father\nAbraham\u0026rdquo;, my mind goes to my own life and now that I have some years under my\nbelt I can look back and see time and time again where God showed his love for\nme in extraordinary ways. I do hope it isn\u0026rsquo;t the physical blessings that he\ngives that bring me joy, but rather that it is the unending history of\nfaithfulness to me as his child.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJoy is found in Zion because it is where Yahweh lives, and joy and gladness are\nfound in fullness in him alone. His comfort today is realized in his word and\nlegacy of faithfulness, and his comfort tomorrow will be realized by Jesus'\nreturn and the consummation of the Kingdom of God.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWork is hard, life is unfair, sickness will continue but at the appointed time,\nwhen Yahweh \u0026ldquo;make[s] [Zion\u0026rsquo;s] wilderness like Eden\u0026rdquo; there will be joy,\ngladness, thanksgiving, and the sound of song.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Isaiah 51:1-3\"\n\n 1 “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, who seek Yahweh. Look to\n the rock from which you were hewn, and to the excavation of the pit from which\n you were quarried.\n 2 Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah; she brought\n you forth. For I called him alone, but I blessed him and made him numerous.”\n 3 For Yahweh will comfort Zion; he will comfort all its sites of ruins. And\n he will make its wilderness like Eden, and its desert like the garden of\n Yahweh. Joy and gladness will be found in it, thanksgiving and the sound of\n song.\n\n## Joy in the Father\n\nOn the heels of yesterday, I'm still struggling with Joy, but here in Isaiah\nsome context aligns Joy with Gladness (which feels very much in-line with my\nassociation of Gratitude with Happiness).\n\nSo where will joy and gladness be found? It sounds to me like \"Zion\". Zion is\nthe Mountain of God. In the ANE gods lived on high mountain tops with lush\ngardens. Think of the cartoon example of Hercules with the pantheon up on\nOlympus.\n\nZion is also the people of God - even today we sometimes use national or ethnic\ntitles to refer to the people of that area. National leaders may address the\ncitizens of America by saying \"Listen to me, America\" or something like that -\nI think my point is that we'd all \"get it\" in that moment. In a similar way,\nthat communication shouldn't be lost on us here.\n\nThe prophet is speaking to \"you who pursue righteousness, who seek Yahweh...\nYahweh will comfort Zion (you)...\". In that comfort is 2 things from this\npassage: Election and Legacy.\n\n!!! note \"Election\"\n\n \"Look to the rock from which you were hewn...\". Does the rock decide which\n pieces are chiseled away and which pieces remain? Of course not, the sculptor\n or foreman does that. In, honestly, the same way - who am I to have chosen God\n on my own... Without his hand coming to the rock to separate me (any anyone\n else in the Lord) I would forever remain stagnant in my cold, hard, dead state.\n But Yahweh chooses - and what can follow his choice to hewn me from the rock?\n Why, it's nothing but Joy and Gladness!\n\n!!! note \"Legacy\"\n\n \"Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah; she brought you forth\". God's\n people have a long legacy, a real legacy, to look back on and be encouraged by\n God's faithfulness in his election. The legacy isn't just back to \"Father\n Abraham\", my mind goes to my own life and now that I have some years under my\n belt I can look back and see time and time again where God showed his love for\n me in extraordinary ways. I do hope it isn't the physical blessings that he\n gives that bring me joy, but rather that it is the unending history of\n faithfulness to me as his child.\n\nJoy is found in Zion because it is where Yahweh lives, and joy and gladness are\nfound in fullness in him alone. His comfort today is realized in his word and\nlegacy of faithfulness, and his comfort tomorrow will be realized by Jesus'\nreturn and the consummation of the Kingdom of God.\n\nWork is hard, life is unfair, sickness will continue but at the appointed time,\nwhen Yahweh \"make[s] [Zion's] wilderness like Eden\" there will be joy,\ngladness, thanksgiving, and the sound of song.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Isaiah 51:1-3\"", "date_published": "2025-12-15T05:40:47Z", "date_modified": "2025-12-15T05:40:47Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "advent", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/advent-psalm-105-43/", "url": "https://pype.dev/advent-psalm-105-43/", "title": "Advent - Psalm 105:43", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePsalm 105:43\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd so he brought out his people with joy, his chosen ones with rejoicing.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJoy is a toughy right now if I\u0026rsquo;m honest\u0026hellip; Today marks the 3rd week of Advent,\ntoday we light the Joy candle. But honestly, joy is one that\u0026rsquo;s not just tough\nnow, it\u0026rsquo;s a hard thing for me in general\u0026hellip; \u0026ldquo;Hope\u0026rdquo; I feel like I get, I long for\nthe consummation of Heaven. \u0026ldquo;Peace\u0026rdquo; is another one that I can\u0026rsquo;t say I experience\nall the time, but I know what it is, and I have felt, and do feel, \u0026ldquo;peace\u0026rdquo; to\ndivine degrees at times. Joy though\u0026hellip; I\u0026rsquo;m an excitable person, I\u0026rsquo;m passionate\nabout the things I\u0026rsquo;m passionate about, but \u0026ldquo;joy\u0026rdquo; isn\u0026rsquo;t an emotion or\nstate-of-being that I feel very familiar with.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s probably not correct to use the word \u0026ldquo;emotion\u0026rdquo; for the Advent-pillar of\n\u003ccode\u003eJoy\u003c/code\u003e, but it doesn\u0026rsquo;t feel wholly inappropriate either\u0026hellip; I think of \u0026lsquo;joy\u0026rsquo; as\nan outward response to a thing, and if I were to be pressed to think about what\n\u0026ldquo;inward-joy\u0026rdquo; might be, I think I\u0026rsquo;d default to how I understand \u0026ldquo;peace\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJoy, though, can\u0026rsquo;t only be outward, there must be something internal\u0026hellip; \u0026ldquo;Peace\u0026rdquo;\nreminds me of feelings like calm and serenity to me, but \u0026ldquo;joy\u0026rdquo; reminds me of\nfeelings of happiness and gratitude\u0026hellip; Maybe that\u0026rsquo;s where joy becomes almost a\nvirtue - happiness accompanied with gratitude.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI suppose with that springboard, I feel great joy when I\u0026rsquo;m with close friends,\nexperiencing community with people who really know me. I don\u0026rsquo;t know what it\nsays about me that the most recent time of excessive \u0026ldquo;joy\u0026rdquo; I can remember was\nfrom a weekend-getaway trip to the Dells with our best friends back in\nJanuary\u0026hellip; We don\u0026rsquo;t get to see Michael and Kathryn (+ the kiddos!) very often.\nBy God\u0026rsquo;s grace on their lives, we are 1 of many close family-friends to\nthem. By God\u0026rsquo;s same grace on our lives, they are 1 of a \u003cstrong\u003every few\u003c/strong\u003e close\nfamily-friends to us, and so when we do get to see them and plan a few days\ntogether every couple of years, it warms my heart so much that if we booked the\nnext trip this morning I\u0026rsquo;d forget about being sick and how cold it is outside\n(wind chill -29F).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThings for me right this very second are not incredibly joyful, but all things\nconsidered it\u0026rsquo;s impossible to not find peace in the provision of Yahweh in my\nlife. I\u0026rsquo;m thankful for when joy enters my being and I get to experience it, I\npray Jesus broadens my heart and mind this week during the reflections on Joy\nfor the sake my own righteousness.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Psalm 105:43\"\n\n And so he brought out his people with joy, his chosen ones with rejoicing.\n\nJoy is a toughy right now if I'm honest... Today marks the 3rd week of Advent,\ntoday we light the Joy candle. But honestly, joy is one that's not just tough\nnow, it's a hard thing for me in general... \"Hope\" I feel like I get, I long for\nthe consummation of Heaven. \"Peace\" is another one that I can't say I experience\nall the time, but I know what it is, and I have felt, and do feel, \"peace\" to\ndivine degrees at times. Joy though... I'm an excitable person, I'm passionate\nabout the things I'm passionate about, but \"joy\" isn't an emotion or\nstate-of-being that I feel very familiar with.\n\nIt's probably not correct to use the word \"emotion\" for the Advent-pillar of\n`Joy`, but it doesn't feel wholly inappropriate either... I think of 'joy' as\nan outward response to a thing, and if I were to be pressed to think about what\n\"inward-joy\" might be, I think I'd default to how I understand \"peace\".\n\nJoy, though, can't only be outward, there must be something internal... \"Peace\"\nreminds me of feelings like calm and serenity to me, but \"joy\" reminds me of\nfeelings of happiness and gratitude... Maybe that's where joy becomes almost a\nvirtue - happiness accompanied with gratitude.\n\nI suppose with that springboard, I feel great joy when I'm with close friends,\nexperiencing community with people who really know me. I don't know what it\nsays about me that the most recent time of excessive \"joy\" I can remember was\nfrom a weekend-getaway trip to the Dells with our best friends back in\nJanuary... We don't get to see Michael and Kathryn (+ the kiddos!) very often.\nBy God's grace on their lives, we are 1 of many close family-friends to\nthem. By God's same grace on our lives, they are 1 of a **very few** close\nfamily-friends to us, and so when we do get to see them and plan a few days\ntogether every couple of years, it warms my heart so much that if we booked the\nnext trip this morning I'd forget about being sick and how cold it is outside\n(wind chill -29F).\n\nThings for me right this very second are not incredibly joyful, but all things\nconsidered it's impossible to not find peace in the provision of Yahweh in my\nlife. I'm thankful for when joy enters my being and I get to experience it, I\npray Jesus broadens my heart and mind this week during the reflections on Joy\nfor the sake my own righteousness.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Psalm 105:43\"", "date_published": "2025-12-14T09:48:03Z", "date_modified": "2025-12-14T09:48:03Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "advent", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/advent-ephesians-4-3/", "url": "https://pype.dev/advent-ephesians-4-3/", "title": "Advent - Ephesians 4:3", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eEphesians 4:1-6\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e4Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you to live in a manner\nworthy of the calling with which you were called: 2 with all humility and\ngentleness, with patience, putting up with one another in love, 3 being eager\nto keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; 4 one body and one Spirit\n(just as also you were called with one hope of your calling), 5 one Lord, one\nfaith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through\nall, and in all.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"unity-and-peace\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eUnity and Peace\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#unity-and-peace\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce again I say \u0026ldquo;Praise God\u0026rdquo; this morning for more words of Scripture that\nsuccinctly highlight the beauty of the Gospel.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;I, the prisoner in the Lord\u0026hellip;\u0026rdquo; No one knows better than Paul that if Jesus\nsays \u0026ldquo;Come to me\u0026rdquo; you have no choice but to obey.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;with humility, gentleness, and patience put up with one another in love, be\neager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace\u0026rdquo;. Christian\ncommunity was literally the talk of the town in the early church - it was so\nodd that historians have written about \u0026ldquo;The Way\u0026rdquo; (the early early name of the\nChristian movement). Acts says believers \u0026ldquo;had all things in common\u0026rdquo;. Jesus\nbrings unity that transcends any differences between us.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;one\u0026hellip;one\u0026hellip;one\u0026hellip;\u0026rdquo; Paul is saying so clearly that we are one family in\nChrista. Later in the same letter he says \u0026ldquo;be eager to do good to all, and\nespecially to those in the household of faith\u0026rdquo;. Christians should be meeting\nthe needs of those around them, but even more so meeting the needs of our\nbrothers and sisters in Christ.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI really strive for unity\u0026hellip; My whole life people have accused me of loving an\nargument (which is true) but I am not pugnacious. I do not enjoy fighting - I\ndo enjoy rhetoric and debate, but by God\u0026rsquo;s grace I hate division. There are\nseveral examples I can point to in my life where unity and \u0026ldquo;team spirit\u0026rdquo; was\nimportant to me.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eSimple Example\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI worked for Summit Ministries for several summers, eventually serving on\nsome leadership positions. While in those positions I wanted to do \u0026ldquo;extra\u0026rdquo;\nthings to unify our counselors, and one was that every year I\u0026rsquo;d design a\nsweatshirt that we\u0026rsquo;d all (or most of us) would buy. I just love the idea of\nbeing united for a common and GOOD goal.o\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChristians should be the most unified and loving people on the planet\u0026hellip;\nunfortunately that isn\u0026rsquo;t the case, and I know a lot of people in and out of the\nChurch who have experienced great disunity and division. That really is\nunfortunate, but I think the only thing I can do is march forward to the beat\nof the drum Jesus has for me. And one of those beats is to strive for unity\n\u0026ldquo;putting up with one another in love, being eager to keep the unity of the\nSpirit in the bond of peace\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Ephesians 4:1-6\"\n\n 4Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you to live in a manner\n worthy of the calling with which you were called: 2 with all humility and\n gentleness, with patience, putting up with one another in love, 3 being eager\n to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; 4 one body and one Spirit\n (just as also you were called with one hope of your calling), 5 one Lord, one\n faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through\n all, and in all.\n\n## Unity and Peace\n\nOnce again I say \"Praise God\" this morning for more words of Scripture that\nsuccinctly highlight the beauty of the Gospel.\n\n1. \"I, the prisoner in the Lord...\" No one knows better than Paul that if Jesus\n says \"Come to me\" you have no choice but to obey.\n2. \"with humility, gentleness, and patience put up with one another in love, be\n eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace\". Christian\n community was literally the talk of the town in the early church - it was so\n odd that historians have written about \"The Way\" (the early early name of the\n Christian movement). Acts says believers \"had all things in common\". Jesus\n brings unity that transcends any differences between us.\n3. \"one...one...one...\" Paul is saying so clearly that we are one family in\n Christa. Later in the same letter he says \"be eager to do good to all, and\n especially to those in the household of faith\". Christians should be meeting\n the needs of those around them, but even more so meeting the needs of our\n brothers and sisters in Christ.\n\nI really strive for unity... My whole life people have accused me of loving an\nargument (which is true) but I am not pugnacious. I do not enjoy fighting - I\ndo enjoy rhetoric and debate, but by God's grace I hate division. There are\nseveral examples I can point to in my life where unity and \"team spirit\" was\nimportant to me.\n\n!!! note \"Simple Example\"\n\n I worked for Summit Ministries for several summers, eventually serving on\n some leadership positions. While in those positions I wanted to do \"extra\"\n things to unify our counselors, and one was that every year I'd design a\n sweatshirt that we'd all (or most of us) would buy. I just love the idea of\n being united for a common and GOOD goal.o\n\nChristians should be the most unified and loving people on the planet...\nunfortunately that isn't the case, and I know a lot of people in and out of the\nChurch who have experienced great disunity and division. That really is\nunfortunate, but I think the only thing I can do is march forward to the beat\nof the drum Jesus has for me. And one of those beats is to strive for unity\n\"putting up with one another in love, being eager to keep the unity of the\nSpirit in the bond of peace\"\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Ephesians 4:1-6\"", "date_published": "2025-12-13T05:05:56Z", "date_modified": "2025-12-13T05:05:56Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "advent", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/advent-ephesians-2-14-16/", "url": "https://pype.dev/advent-ephesians-2-14-16/", "title": "Advent - Ephesians 2:14-16", "content_html": "\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reflection in the BP calendar for today was only verses 14-15 but they made no sense to me without some more context\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eEphesians 2:11-22\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e11 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, the\nso-called uncircumcision by the so-called circumcision in the flesh, made by\nhands, 12 that you were at that time apart from Christ, alienated from the\ncitizenship of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, not having\nhope, and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you, the ones\nwho once were far away, have become near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he\nhimself is our peace, who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of the\npartition, the enmity, in his flesh, 15 invalidating the law of commandments in\nordinances, in order that he might create the two in himself into one new man,\nthus making peace, 16 and might reconcile both in one body to God through the\ncross, killing the enmity in himself. 17 And coming, he proclaimed the good\nnews of peace to you who were far away and peace to the ones who were near,\n18 because through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.\n19 Consequently, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you\nare fellow citizens of the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built\non the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the\ncornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, joined together, grows into a holy\ntemple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are built up together into a dwelling\nplace of God in the Spirit.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"summary\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eSummary\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#summary\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s a dense section, like a lot of Paul\u0026rsquo;s letters, so no surprise. I think the\nsimplest truth from this passage is that to be a \u0026ldquo;citizen of heaven\u0026rdquo; requires\nnothing more than to be chosen by Jesus. For much of the Bible, and the history\nof Israel, the first requirement was being in the physical nation of Israel -\nGod\u0026rsquo;s chosen people. Jesus comes to unleash the blessing of adoption and\nreconiciliiation onto the whole world, not just one imperfect white-washed\nnation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTLDR: Jesus brings peace through unity of faith in his saving power - there is\nnothing that can separate God\u0026rsquo;s own from himself, including who your ancestors\nare.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"peace\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003ePeace\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#peace\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;For he himself is our peace\u0026rdquo;\u0026hellip; Amen and amen. My reflections during and prior\nto Advent this year have strong running themes of freedom and peace because by\nGod\u0026rsquo;s grace he\u0026rsquo;s impressing these blessings into my heart. In the stillness of\nthe morning or the chaos of the afternoon, I can thankfully say that the name\nof Jesus never fails to ground my feet in the reality of his kingdom, and at the\nvery least - draw my eyes above the trial to the horizon - where just like I\ncan see nothing without the sun\u0026rsquo;s light, the world is clearer and more peaceful\nin the light of the Son of God.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n\u003e The reflection in the BP calendar for today was only verses 14-15 but they made no sense to me without some more context\n\n!!! note \"Ephesians 2:11-22\"\n\n 11 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, the\n so-called uncircumcision by the so-called circumcision in the flesh, made by\n hands, 12 that you were at that time apart from Christ, alienated from the\n citizenship of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, not having\n hope, and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you, the ones\n who once were far away, have become near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he\n himself is our peace, who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of the\n partition, the enmity, in his flesh, 15 invalidating the law of commandments in\n ordinances, in order that he might create the two in himself into one new man,\n thus making peace, 16 and might reconcile both in one body to God through the\n cross, killing the enmity in himself. 17 And coming, he proclaimed the good\n news of peace to you who were far away and peace to the ones who were near,\n 18 because through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.\n 19 Consequently, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you\n are fellow citizens of the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built\n on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the\n cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, joined together, grows into a holy\n temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are built up together into a dwelling\n place of God in the Spirit.\n\n## Summary\n\nIt's a dense section, like a lot of Paul's letters, so no surprise. I think the\nsimplest truth from this passage is that to be a \"citizen of heaven\" requires\nnothing more than to be chosen by Jesus. For much of the Bible, and the history\nof Israel, the first requirement was being in the physical nation of Israel -\nGod's chosen people. Jesus comes to unleash the blessing of adoption and\nreconiciliiation onto the whole world, not just one imperfect white-washed\nnation.\n\nTLDR: Jesus brings peace through unity of faith in his saving power - there is\nnothing that can separate God's own from himself, including who your ancestors\nare.\n\n## Peace\n\n\"For he himself is our peace\"... Amen and amen. My reflections during and prior\nto Advent this year have strong running themes of freedom and peace because by\nGod's grace he's impressing these blessings into my heart. In the stillness of\nthe morning or the chaos of the afternoon, I can thankfully say that the name\nof Jesus never fails to ground my feet in the reality of his kingdom, and at the\nvery least - draw my eyes above the trial to the horizon - where just like I\ncan see nothing without the sun's light, the world is clearer and more peaceful\nin the light of the Son of God.\n", "summary": "The reflection in the BP calendar for today was only verses 14-15 but they made no sense to me without some more context", "date_published": "2025-12-12T04:57:12Z", "date_modified": "2025-12-12T04:57:12Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "advent", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/advent-colossians-1-19-20/", "url": "https://pype.dev/advent-colossians-1-19-20/", "title": "Advent - Colossians 1:19-20", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eColossians 1:19-20\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI feel like there\u0026rsquo;s so much that could be unpacked here\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;all his fullness dwell him in\u0026rdquo; - so besides the entire Gospel of John how\ncan anyone deny that Jesus is God? I don\u0026rsquo;t understand anyone who claims to take\nthe Bible as an authority and then deny Jesus\u0026rsquo; divinity.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;through him to reconcile everything to himself\u0026rdquo; - not all people are saved,\nit\u0026rsquo;s a clear reality. So what does it mean for \u003cstrong\u003eall things\u003c/strong\u003e to be\nreconciled to God? Feels like that could go a lot of places.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;making peace through his blood\u0026rdquo; - before the cross there was an absence of\n\u0026ldquo;peace\u0026rdquo;, and through Jesus\u0026rsquo; blood peace has been made. Moreso than just that,\nthe \u0026ldquo;make\u0026rdquo; (eirenopoieo: εἰρηνοποιέω) is in the aorist which I understand to be\na tense that means a thing \u0026ldquo;has happened\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;is done happening\u0026rdquo;. ie. it\u0026rsquo;s a\ncompleted action in the past.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"kiss\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eKISS\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#kiss\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m going to keep-it-simple-silly here\u0026hellip; I don\u0026rsquo;t have the energy for arguments\nor unpacking some of these theological ideas that I genuinely do love. I found\nsome old notes on this exact passage in Logos about reconiliation of angels and\nsome grammar questions. However, for this Advent reflection I think there\u0026rsquo;s\njust a simple truth to see, and it\u0026rsquo;s one of the biggest points of the Story of\nthe Bible - Jesus makes peace, and he made peace through hard work, death.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe glory of the peace Jesus made is lost on anyone who doesn\u0026rsquo;t recognize that\nthe world is broken. Jesus brings a new reality by unleashing Heaven to earth\nthrough his victory on the cross. We live in an interim \u0026ldquo;already but not yet\u0026rdquo;\nwhere the King Jesus is the rightful ruler over all creation, but he has yet to\ncome back and fully claim his own. The peace he made is a gift to all of\ncreation, for all of creation is his to reconcile.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf Jesus calls your name, what are you going to do? What can you do? He\ndefeated death and holds the universe together\u0026hellip; you think you can say \u0026ldquo;no\u0026rdquo;?\nWhat about Jesus \u003cem\u003enot\u003c/em\u003e calling the name of someone in your life? Is peace not\nafforded to them? The Biblical truth is that it\u0026rsquo;s fully and totally up to Yahweh\nto give his own to the Lord Jesus, and to keep each one without losing a hair\non their head. Those who are not of his kingdom will get what they naturally\nwant in the end. What that \u003cstrong\u003eactually is\u003c/strong\u003e I do not know, but it is not\neternity in the presence of a Good King because if God hasn\u0026rsquo;t chosen you, you\ncan\u0026rsquo;t love the Good King. If God hasn\u0026rsquo;t chosen you - you can\u0026rsquo;t \u003cstrong\u003ewant\u003c/strong\u003e the\nGood King. In the end, we all get what we want - the benefit of\nthose chosen by Yahweh is that we are freed to want what is actually good for\nus. We are freed to love and live according to the purposes of our design.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday I pray Jesus impresses the reality of peace, and the freedom to want the\npeace he made, deeper into my heart, amen.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Colossians 1:19-20\"\n\n 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.\n\nI feel like there's so much that could be unpacked here...\n\n- \"all his fullness dwell him in\" - so besides the entire Gospel of John how\n can anyone deny that Jesus is God? I don't understand anyone who claims to take\n the Bible as an authority and then deny Jesus' divinity.\n- \"through him to reconcile everything to himself\" - not all people are saved,\n it's a clear reality. So what does it mean for **all things** to be\n reconciled to God? Feels like that could go a lot of places.\n- \"making peace through his blood\" - before the cross there was an absence of\n \"peace\", and through Jesus' blood peace has been made. Moreso than just that,\n the \"make\" (eirenopoieo: εἰρηνοποιέω) is in the aorist which I understand to be\n a tense that means a thing \"has happened\" and \"is done happening\". ie. it's a\n completed action in the past.\n\n## KISS\n\nI'm going to keep-it-simple-silly here... I don't have the energy for arguments\nor unpacking some of these theological ideas that I genuinely do love. I found\nsome old notes on this exact passage in Logos about reconiliation of angels and\nsome grammar questions. However, for this Advent reflection I think there's\njust a simple truth to see, and it's one of the biggest points of the Story of\nthe Bible - Jesus makes peace, and he made peace through hard work, death.\n\nThe glory of the peace Jesus made is lost on anyone who doesn't recognize that\nthe world is broken. Jesus brings a new reality by unleashing Heaven to earth\nthrough his victory on the cross. We live in an interim \"already but not yet\"\nwhere the King Jesus is the rightful ruler over all creation, but he has yet to\ncome back and fully claim his own. The peace he made is a gift to all of\ncreation, for all of creation is his to reconcile.\n\nIf Jesus calls your name, what are you going to do? What can you do? He\ndefeated death and holds the universe together... you think you can say \"no\"?\nWhat about Jesus _not_ calling the name of someone in your life? Is peace not\nafforded to them? The Biblical truth is that it's fully and totally up to Yahweh\nto give his own to the Lord Jesus, and to keep each one without losing a hair\non their head. Those who are not of his kingdom will get what they naturally\nwant in the end. What that **actually is** I do not know, but it is not\neternity in the presence of a Good King because if God hasn't chosen you, you\ncan't love the Good King. If God hasn't chosen you - you can't **want** the\nGood King. In the end, we all get what we want - the benefit of\nthose chosen by Yahweh is that we are freed to want what is actually good for\nus. We are freed to love and live according to the purposes of our design.\n\nToday I pray Jesus impresses the reality of peace, and the freedom to want the\npeace he made, deeper into my heart, amen.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Colossians 1:19-20\"", "date_published": "2025-12-11T05:38:49Z", "date_modified": "2025-12-11T05:38:49Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "advent", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/advent-john-16-33/", "url": "https://pype.dev/advent-john-16-33/", "title": "Advent - John 16:33", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJohn 16:33\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have said these things to you so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have affliction, but have courage! I have conquered the world.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s interesting to read a little context around this morning\u0026rsquo;s Advent\nreflection passage/verse\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJohn 16:31-33\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e31 Jesus replied to them, “Now do you believe? 32 Behold, an hour is coming—and has come—that you will be scattered each one to his own home, and you will leave me alone. And I am not alone, because the Father is with me. 33 I have said these things to you so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have affliction, but have courage! I have conquered the world.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt sounds to me like right on the heels of Jesus saying \u0026ldquo;hey, you\u0026rsquo;re gonna\nleave me alone for a minute out of fear\u0026rdquo; he says \u0026ldquo;I still love you, have peace,\nI am victorious\u0026rdquo;\u0026hellip; I think he\u0026rsquo;s saying that the important thing isn\u0026rsquo;t the\nnatural human response to pain and affliction to be to recede. Instead he\u0026rsquo;s\nsaying that in his victory, by his love for us, the affliction will be a\ndistant memory and Jesus is speaking in the reality of affliction being in the\npast, because he has \u003cstrong\u003econquered the world\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen my daughter\u0026rsquo;s have to do something they are a little scared to do, or\nsomething they don\u0026rsquo;t understand, my response to them is \u0026ldquo;I am your dad, I love\nyou, you don\u0026rsquo;t have to understand why I\u0026rsquo;m asking you to do this right now but\ndo you trust me?\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI try to drive home with my daughters (and my wife for that matter) that in any\nsingle thing I do - they are my priority. I don\u0026rsquo;t always do the thing\nappropriately, I\u0026rsquo;m not saying I\u0026rsquo;m infallible. But I think I get what Jesus is\nsaying here - he is the focus, he is the thing that matter, his victory is more\nmeaningful than my affliction and honestly the comfort from that affliction is\nfound in nothing more than trusting Jesus because I know he loves me. Just like\nI ask my daughters to trust me, and I hope that trust calms their anxiety about\nwhatever I\u0026rsquo;ve asked of them, Jesus says \u0026ldquo;trust me - I have \u003cstrong\u003econquered the world\u003c/strong\u003e\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"John 16:33\"\n\n I have said these things to you so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have affliction, but have courage! I have conquered the world.”\n\nIt's interesting to read a little context around this morning's Advent\nreflection passage/verse...\n\n!!! note \"John 16:31-33\"\n\n 31 Jesus replied to them, “Now do you believe? 32 Behold, an hour is coming—and has come—that you will be scattered each one to his own home, and you will leave me alone. And I am not alone, because the Father is with me. 33 I have said these things to you so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have affliction, but have courage! I have conquered the world.”\n\nIt sounds to me like right on the heels of Jesus saying \"hey, you're gonna\nleave me alone for a minute out of fear\" he says \"I still love you, have peace,\nI am victorious\"... I think he's saying that the important thing isn't the\nnatural human response to pain and affliction to be to recede. Instead he's\nsaying that in his victory, by his love for us, the affliction will be a\ndistant memory and Jesus is speaking in the reality of affliction being in the\npast, because he has **conquered the world**.\n\nWhen my daughter's have to do something they are a little scared to do, or\nsomething they don't understand, my response to them is \"I am your dad, I love\nyou, you don't have to understand why I'm asking you to do this right now but\ndo you trust me?\"\n\nI try to drive home with my daughters (and my wife for that matter) that in any\nsingle thing I do - they are my priority. I don't always do the thing\nappropriately, I'm not saying I'm infallible. But I think I get what Jesus is\nsaying here - he is the focus, he is the thing that matter, his victory is more\nmeaningful than my affliction and honestly the comfort from that affliction is\nfound in nothing more than trusting Jesus because I know he loves me. Just like\nI ask my daughters to trust me, and I hope that trust calms their anxiety about\nwhatever I've asked of them, Jesus says \"trust me - I have **conquered the world**\"\n", "summary": "!!! note \"John 16:33\"", "date_published": "2025-12-10T05:03:04Z", "date_modified": "2025-12-10T05:03:04Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "advent", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/advent-zechariah-9-9-10/", "url": "https://pype.dev/advent-zechariah-9-9-10/", "title": "Advent - Zechariah 9:9-10", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eZechariah 9:9-10\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Look! Your king comes to you; he is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, and on a male donkey, the foal of a female donkey! 10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; the battle bow will be cut down, and he will announce peace to the nations. His dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy king is indeed coming, and has already come. He is humble and he is\nvictorious. Jesus can \u0026ldquo;announce peace\u0026rdquo; because the Kingdom is his - over which to\nannounce whatever he wills. The rulers of this world fight for peace - they\nmake announcements that reality is under no obligation to adhere to. \u0026ldquo;Peace\nthrough strength\u0026rdquo; is not a bad mentality from one nation to another, but within\nthe nation the citizens are ruled by one king whose word either has weight or\nnot. Often the weight of the word of the king is in the form of brutal\nenforcement of the king\u0026rsquo;s will. In the case of King Jesus though, there is\nnothing brutal. He doesn\u0026rsquo;t own the world by conquest, he owns it by right.\nReality itself \u003cem\u003eis under an obligation to obey the architect of the universe\u003c/em\u003e.\nSo when King Jesus announces peace\u0026hellip; what else can happen besides the word of\nthe Lord?\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Zechariah 9:9-10\"\n\n 9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Look! Your king comes to you; he is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, and on a male donkey, the foal of a female donkey! 10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; the battle bow will be cut down, and he will announce peace to the nations. His dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.\n\nMy king is indeed coming, and has already come. He is humble and he is\nvictorious. Jesus can \"announce peace\" because the Kingdom is his - over which to\nannounce whatever he wills. The rulers of this world fight for peace - they\nmake announcements that reality is under no obligation to adhere to. \"Peace\nthrough strength\" is not a bad mentality from one nation to another, but within\nthe nation the citizens are ruled by one king whose word either has weight or\nnot. Often the weight of the word of the king is in the form of brutal\nenforcement of the king's will. In the case of King Jesus though, there is\nnothing brutal. He doesn't own the world by conquest, he owns it by right.\nReality itself _is under an obligation to obey the architect of the universe_.\nSo when King Jesus announces peace... what else can happen besides the word of\nthe Lord?\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Zechariah 9:9-10\"", "date_published": "2025-12-09T05:06:22Z", "date_modified": "2025-12-09T05:06:22Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "advent", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/advent-isaiah-9-6-7/", "url": "https://pype.dev/advent-isaiah-9-6-7/", "title": "Advent - Isaiah 9:6-7", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eIsaiah 9:6-7\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e6 For a child has been born for us; a son has been given to us. And the dominion will be on his shoulder, and his name is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His dominion will grow continually, and to peace there will be no end on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and sustain it with justice and righteousness now and forever. The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will do this.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"to-peace-there-will-be-no-end\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eTo Peace There Will Be No End\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#to-peace-there-will-be-no-end\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat a fantastic promise about what the King will do - to bring unending peace.\nI wrote about peace during Advent last year - \u003ca href=\"/advent-2024-peace/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Advent 2024 - Peace\" data-description=\"Luke 2:14 (ESV): 14\\u00a0“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”\" data-date=\"2024-12-06\" data-preview=\"Luke 2:14 (ESV): 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”\"\u003eAdvent 2024 - Peace\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThings are as they are supposed to be\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat King Jesus will bring is a kingdom where every relationship is \u003cem\u003eas it is\nsupposed to be\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is something amazing and relieving about reconciling with a friend.\nBrokenness is everywhere, and that affects our relationship with everyone, from\nthe best friend to the 3rd cousin of your boss\u0026rsquo;s secretary. The closer you are,\nthe more impactful the brokenness can be, the worse the pain in the\nrelationship can feel, but also the more glorious and cheerful it is when\nthings go from bad to \u003cem\u003eas they should be\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Isaiah 9:6-7\"\n\n 6 For a child has been born for us; a son has been given to us. And the dominion will be on his shoulder, and his name is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His dominion will grow continually, and to peace there will be no end on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and sustain it with justice and righteousness now and forever. The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will do this.\n\n## To Peace There Will Be No End\n\nWhat a fantastic promise about what the King will do - to bring unending peace.\nI wrote about peace during Advent last year - \u003ca href=\"/advent-2024-peace/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Advent 2024 - Peace\" data-description=\"Luke 2:14 (ESV): 14\\u00a0“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”\" data-date=\"2024-12-06\"\u003eAdvent 2024 - Peace\u003c/a\u003e\n\n\u003e Things are as they are supposed to be\n\nWhat King Jesus will bring is a kingdom where every relationship is _as it is\nsupposed to be_.\n\nThere is something amazing and relieving about reconciling with a friend.\nBrokenness is everywhere, and that affects our relationship with everyone, from\nthe best friend to the 3rd cousin of your boss's secretary. The closer you are,\nthe more impactful the brokenness can be, the worse the pain in the\nrelationship can feel, but also the more glorious and cheerful it is when\nthings go from bad to _as they should be_\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Isaiah 9:6-7\"", "date_published": "2025-12-08T04:39:09Z", "date_modified": "2025-12-08T04:39:09Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "advent", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/advent-2025-love/", "url": "https://pype.dev/advent-2025-love/", "title": "Advent 2025 - Love", "content_html": "\u003ch1 id=\"advent-address\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eAdvent Address\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"love\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eLove\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#love\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e1 John 4:7–10 (CSB)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e7 Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;not that we loved God, but that he loved us\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCan a newborn love? When a baby enters the world they are at the mercy of the,\nhopefully, loving mom and dad God gave to them. But, whatever circumstances\nsurround them - they didn\u0026rsquo;t choose any of it. As the child is loved then\nout of that love they develop an affection and love of their own toward Mom and\nDad.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo, to love God is only possible out of the love he shows you and me, just like\na child will develop love for Mom and Dad as they are shown love.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot all people love God, but He does show grace to all.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePalm 145:9\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYahweh is good to all, and his mercies are over all his works.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd just like Yahweh is good to all, I will show grace to anyone else\u0026rsquo;s kid -\nbut God redeems his own just like at the end of the day I take my own kids\nhome: my kids, who I loved before they could love me. Only my children can love\nme as their Dad, and anyone who is not a child of God cannot love God - John\nsays as much in what we just read together.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut love is more than affection, and even security. It is those things of\ncourse, but it\u0026rsquo;s also more. Something else that love brings to the human life,\nis freedom.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy kids don\u0026rsquo;t get to do just whatever they want - but they\u0026rsquo;re never more free\nthan when they are enjoying life within the boundaries I have set for them. My\nlove for my kids enables them to be as free as reasonably possible\u0026hellip; The\nepitome of freedom for the human is not \u0026ldquo;doing whatever I want\u0026rdquo;, that is\nslavery to myself. If I treat myself as my own\nMaster, then I will be my own slave.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTrue freedom is the gift of loving the Lord because loving him is the reason we\nwere created - it\u0026rsquo;s what we were made to do. His love for me frees me to want\nwhat he wants, love what he loves, hate what he hates, and ultimately to enjoy\nhim forever.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI hope my kids love what I love, and hate what I hate because I hope that what\nI love and what I hate are in line with God\u0026rsquo;s heart. And as God sent his own\nson into the world out of his love for you and me, may we go forward freed from\nthe bondage of sin and death, into the glorious, true, and loving freedom that\nJesus brings.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"prayer\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003ePrayer\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#prayer\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGood morning, Father. Thank you for Love, thank you for Christmas. For those\nhere who have been freed to love you I pray this week and through Christmas we\nare drawn to consider the freedom we have in your love, the freedom to love\nyou, the freedom to choose what is pleasing to you and not what our\nsinful-selves demand. For those here still dead in their sins, unable to love\nyou, I pray you speak their name and call them to life and to freedom. We long\nfor your return as we celebrate your incarnation. Thank you for loving us\nbefore we could love you, now may we love you and others this week, in Jesus'\nname. Amen.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n# Advent Address\n\n## Love\n\n!!! note \"1 John 4:7–10 (CSB)\"\n\n 7 Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.\n\n\"not that we loved God, but that he loved us\"\n\nCan a newborn love? When a baby enters the world they are at the mercy of the,\nhopefully, loving mom and dad God gave to them. But, whatever circumstances\nsurround them - they didn't choose any of it. As the child is loved then\nout of that love they develop an affection and love of their own toward Mom and\nDad.\n\nSo, to love God is only possible out of the love he shows you and me, just like\na child will develop love for Mom and Dad as they are shown love.\n\nNot all people love God, but He does show grace to all.\n\n!!! note \"Palm 145:9\"\n\n Yahweh is good to all, and his mercies are over all his works.\n\nAnd just like Yahweh is good to all, I will show grace to anyone else's kid -\nbut God redeems his own just like at the end of the day I take my own kids\nhome: my kids, who I loved before they could love me. Only my children can love\nme as their Dad, and anyone who is not a child of God cannot love God - John\nsays as much in what we just read together.\n\nBut love is more than affection, and even security. It is those things of\ncourse, but it's also more. Something else that love brings to the human life,\nis freedom.\n\nMy kids don't get to do just whatever they want - but they're never more free\nthan when they are enjoying life within the boundaries I have set for them. My\nlove for my kids enables them to be as free as reasonably possible... The\nepitome of freedom for the human is not \"doing whatever I want\", that is\nslavery to myself. If I treat myself as my own\nMaster, then I will be my own slave.\n\nTrue freedom is the gift of loving the Lord because loving him is the reason we\nwere created - it's what we were made to do. His love for me frees me to want\nwhat he wants, love what he loves, hate what he hates, and ultimately to enjoy\nhim forever.\n\nI hope my kids love what I love, and hate what I hate because I hope that what\nI love and what I hate are in line with God's heart. And as God sent his own\nson into the world out of his love for you and me, may we go forward freed from\nthe bondage of sin and death, into the glorious, true, and loving freedom that\nJesus brings.\n\n## Prayer\n\nGood morning, Father. Thank you for Love, thank you for Christmas. For those\nhere who have been freed to love you I pray this week and through Christmas we\nare drawn to consider the freedom we have in your love, the freedom to love\nyou, the freedom to choose what is pleasing to you and not what our\nsinful-selves demand. For those here still dead in their sins, unable to love\nyou, I pray you speak their name and call them to life and to freedom. We long\nfor your return as we celebrate your incarnation. Thank you for loving us\nbefore we could love you, now may we love you and others this week, in Jesus'\nname. Amen.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"1 John 4:7–10 (CSB)\"", "date_published": "2025-12-07T05:51:43Z", "date_modified": "2025-12-07T05:51:43Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "advent", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/advent-isaiah-26-3/", "url": "https://pype.dev/advent-isaiah-26-3/", "title": "Advent - Isaiah 26:3", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eIsaiah 26:3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou will protect a firm inclination in peace, in peace because he trusts in you.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is reminding me of a blog post I\u0026rsquo;ve had in the queue for months\n[[autism-and-steadfast-faith]] which may never see the light of day but it ties\nin with this verse too well to not influence my reflection on it\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"a-firm-inclination\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eA Firm Inclination\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#a-firm-inclination\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat is this? I had to open another translation to get the idea, consider the ESV:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eIsaiah 26:3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m not going to attempt to explain any Hebrew in this one, I\u0026rsquo;m not fluent in\nit and this looks like more than a 1 word translation to me\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.statically.io/gh/pypeaday/images.pype.dev/main/blog-media/20251207120101_3ded911b.png\" alt=\"20251207120101_3ded911b.png\"\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo in observation \u0026ldquo;sa-muk ye-ser\u0026rdquo; is the man \u0026ldquo;whose mind is stayed on (Yahweh)\u0026rdquo;\nis \u0026ldquo;\u003cem\u003ethe man with\u003c/em\u003e a firm inclination\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo it\u0026rsquo;s an \u003ccode\u003eattitude\u003c/code\u003e - an \u003cem\u003einclincation\u003c/em\u003e to trust in the Lord\u0026hellip; I definitely\nwant to avoid going down any theological paths about the order of salvation,\nbut personally this is resonating deeply as I describe myself (as do others\nprobably) as a man with a firm inclination to worship and follow Jesus.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor me, obviously the source of the \u0026ldquo;sa-muk ye-ser\u0026rdquo; is Yahweh himself, but the\noutpouring of his blessing of \u0026ldquo;a firm inclination\u0026rdquo; in me is in the form of\nautism I think\u0026hellip; Through my make-up as a human, the traits that got me labeled\n\u003cem\u003eautistic\u003c/em\u003e are also many of the ones that have led me to study and lay the\nfoundation of my faith in Jesus by nothing other than his grace.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor a long time, biblical theology was my \u0026ldquo;special interest of autistic\ndegrees\u0026rdquo;, and although I\u0026rsquo;m not drowning in technical papers about Divine\nCouncil Theology at the moment, the seasons and experiences that were\nenabled/affected by being autistic have given me, by God\u0026rsquo;s grace, a history of\nlife to look back on and be encouraged through and have my present-day-faith\nstrengthened by.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"advent\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eAdvent\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#advent\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday marks the second week of Advent - Peace.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePraise God for Isaiah 26:3 and honestly praise God for autism in my life.\nThrough it he has protected and kept me. It\u0026rsquo;s odd to think about but through\nthe anxiety and turmoil of growing up undiagnosed (actually misdiagnosed -\n\u003ca href=\"/autism-adhd-and-the-doshas/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Autism ADHD and the Doshas\" data-description=\"I was recently diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder Level 1 and ADHD, the inattentive type. I suppose, AuDHD for short. There are many reasons why I now...\" data-date=\"2025-06-05\" data-preview=\"I was recently diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder Level 1 and ADHD, the inattentive type. I suppose, AuDHD for short. There are many reasons why I now...\"\u003eAutism ADHD and the Doshas\u003c/a\u003e) autistic, to wrestle with how and why I seemed\nto experience reality differently than most of my friends and community, God\nbrought me to a point of mostly steady peace about the things that happen in my\nlife.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;ve mentioned it in a few writings but right now I feel quite stressed out\nabout some work-related situations that are outside my control\u0026hellip; God\u0026rsquo;s been,\nand is being, good. I both sense the peace of knowing that I don\u0026rsquo;t have to\nworry about my life, as well as the anxiety present (somewhat rightfully) to\nmake the decisions that bring the most glory to God.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI don\u0026rsquo;t think \u0026ldquo;peace\u0026rdquo; means you can\u0026rsquo;t feel anxiety, we live in the \u0026ldquo;already but\nnot yet\u0026rdquo; so the dual-reality is completely expected. I feel blessed that even\nthough I\u0026rsquo;m no stranger to the level of anxiety that can make you physically\nsick, I am also no stranger to an ever-present and quiet corner of my heart\nthat God tends and keeps, strengthens and refreshes, and protects for the sake\nof his own glory. Amen.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Isaiah 26:3\"\n\n You will protect a firm inclination in peace, in peace because he trusts in you.\n\nThis is reminding me of a blog post I've had in the queue for months\n[[autism-and-steadfast-faith]] which may never see the light of day but it ties\nin with this verse too well to not influence my reflection on it\n\n## A Firm Inclination\n\nWhat is this? I had to open another translation to get the idea, consider the ESV:\n\n!!! note \"Isaiah 26:3\"\n\n You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.\n\nI'm not going to attempt to explain any Hebrew in this one, I'm not fluent in\nit and this looks like more than a 1 word translation to me\n\n![20251207120101_3ded911b.png](https://cdn.statically.io/gh/pypeaday/images.pype.dev/main/blog-media/20251207120101_3ded911b.png)\n\nSo in observation \"sa-muk ye-ser\" is the man \"whose mind is stayed on (Yahweh)\"\nis \"_the man with_ a firm inclination\"\n\nSo it's an `attitude` - an _inclincation_ to trust in the Lord... I definitely\nwant to avoid going down any theological paths about the order of salvation,\nbut personally this is resonating deeply as I describe myself (as do others\nprobably) as a man with a firm inclination to worship and follow Jesus.\n\nFor me, obviously the source of the \"sa-muk ye-ser\" is Yahweh himself, but the\noutpouring of his blessing of \"a firm inclination\" in me is in the form of\nautism I think... Through my make-up as a human, the traits that got me labeled\n_autistic_ are also many of the ones that have led me to study and lay the\nfoundation of my faith in Jesus by nothing other than his grace.\n\nFor a long time, biblical theology was my \"special interest of autistic\ndegrees\", and although I'm not drowning in technical papers about Divine\nCouncil Theology at the moment, the seasons and experiences that were\nenabled/affected by being autistic have given me, by God's grace, a history of\nlife to look back on and be encouraged through and have my present-day-faith\nstrengthened by.\n\n## Advent\n\nToday marks the second week of Advent - Peace.\n\nPraise God for Isaiah 26:3 and honestly praise God for autism in my life.\nThrough it he has protected and kept me. It's odd to think about but through\nthe anxiety and turmoil of growing up undiagnosed (actually misdiagnosed -\n\u003ca href=\"/autism-adhd-and-the-doshas/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Autism ADHD and the Doshas\" data-description=\"I was recently diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder Level 1 and ADHD, the inattentive type. I suppose, AuDHD for short. There are many reasons why I now...\" data-date=\"2025-06-05\"\u003eAutism ADHD and the Doshas\u003c/a\u003e) autistic, to wrestle with how and why I seemed\nto experience reality differently than most of my friends and community, God\nbrought me to a point of mostly steady peace about the things that happen in my\nlife.\n\nI've mentioned it in a few writings but right now I feel quite stressed out\nabout some work-related situations that are outside my control... God's been,\nand is being, good. I both sense the peace of knowing that I don't have to\nworry about my life, as well as the anxiety present (somewhat rightfully) to\nmake the decisions that bring the most glory to God.\n\nI don't think \"peace\" means you can't feel anxiety, we live in the \"already but\nnot yet\" so the dual-reality is completely expected. I feel blessed that even\nthough I'm no stranger to the level of anxiety that can make you physically\nsick, I am also no stranger to an ever-present and quiet corner of my heart\nthat God tends and keeps, strengthens and refreshes, and protects for the sake\nof his own glory. Amen.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Isaiah 26:3\"", "date_published": "2025-12-07T05:49:32Z", "date_modified": "2025-12-07T05:49:32Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "advent", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/advent-romans-8-24-25/", "url": "https://pype.dev/advent-romans-8-24-25/", "title": "Advent - Romans 8:24-25", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eRomans 8:24-25\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e24 For in hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we await it eagerly with patient endurance.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eQ: What does it look like for you to actively but patiently wait for God right now?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;What does it look like\u0026rdquo; often causes me to think about hwo someone else might\nobserve my life in relation to the question. This comes up a lot in\ntheology/fellowship discussions \u0026ldquo;what does it look like for\u0026hellip;\u0026rdquo; and then we\ntalk about practical things that humans can do that we can see with our eyes.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut in my faith journey, as I have seen God\u0026rsquo;s faithfulness to me and my family,\nmy mind is not immediately going to outward looking things\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor example \u0026ldquo;What does it look like for Christians to live differently than\nothers?\u0026rdquo; and the answers are always the same \u0026ldquo;we love our enemies\u0026rdquo;, \u0026ldquo;protestant\nwork ethic - Christians should work harder since we work for an audience of\nOne\u0026rdquo;, \u0026ldquo;We don\u0026rsquo;t cuss\u0026rdquo;\u0026hellip; etc. Things that someone could conceivably witness and\nthen potentially draw the conclusion of the question (which is that Christians\nought to live differently than non-Christians)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo I see these 2 ways of thinking about the \u0026ldquo;what does it look like\u0026rdquo; question -\nthe outward observable perspective, but then an inward one\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI guess outwardly, there are some answers where someone might\nobserve it and then conclude that I am waiting actively and patiently for the\nLord\u0026hellip; Here are some examples:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOur Advent wreath on the dining table, anyone who enters out home will see\nit (as do I every day which reminds me of the active waiting)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThis blog - anyone who finds my posts should no doubt observe that my life\nhas been claimed by Jesus and I\u0026rsquo;m living my life to that end by his grace\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut inwardly, in the secret\u0026hellip; I think some reality is continuing to sink in\nthat is a byproduct of witnessing God\u0026rsquo;s faithfulness to me\u0026hellip; The way it looks\nfor me to actively but patiently wait on the Lord is to just walk day by day in\nthe life he\u0026rsquo;s given me\u0026hellip; It\u0026rsquo;s a great life - beautiful family, decent work,\nbeyond decent compensation - in a lot of ways I\u0026rsquo;m living the American Dream and\nGod has been so good to me. My patience and activity I hope are not so much\nmanifested by my will but moreso may they be acts of trust in a God who has shown\nhimself worth trusting.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo, for me, \u0026ldquo;what does it look like?\u0026rdquo; is it looks like\ntrusting when I\u0026rsquo;m frustrated, it looks like breathing when circumstances aren\u0026rsquo;t\nwhat I wanted, and it looks like putting one foot in front of the other in\ndaily faithful life to Jesus\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Romans 8:24-25\"\n\n 24 For in hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we await it eagerly with patient endurance.\n\nQ: What does it look like for you to actively but patiently wait for God right now?\n\n\"What does it look like\" often causes me to think about hwo someone else might\nobserve my life in relation to the question. This comes up a lot in\ntheology/fellowship discussions \"what does it look like for...\" and then we\ntalk about practical things that humans can do that we can see with our eyes.\n\nBut in my faith journey, as I have seen God's faithfulness to me and my family,\nmy mind is not immediately going to outward looking things...\n\nFor example \"What does it look like for Christians to live differently than\nothers?\" and the answers are always the same \"we love our enemies\", \"protestant\nwork ethic - Christians should work harder since we work for an audience of\nOne\", \"We don't cuss\"... etc. Things that someone could conceivably witness and\nthen potentially draw the conclusion of the question (which is that Christians\nought to live differently than non-Christians)\n\nSo I see these 2 ways of thinking about the \"what does it look like\" question -\nthe outward observable perspective, but then an inward one\n\nI guess outwardly, there are some answers where someone might\nobserve it and then conclude that I am waiting actively and patiently for the\nLord... Here are some examples:\n\n1. Our Advent wreath on the dining table, anyone who enters out home will see\n it (as do I every day which reminds me of the active waiting)\n2. This blog - anyone who finds my posts should no doubt observe that my life\n has been claimed by Jesus and I'm living my life to that end by his grace\n\nBut inwardly, in the secret... I think some reality is continuing to sink in\nthat is a byproduct of witnessing God's faithfulness to me... The way it looks\nfor me to actively but patiently wait on the Lord is to just walk day by day in\nthe life he's given me... It's a great life - beautiful family, decent work,\nbeyond decent compensation - in a lot of ways I'm living the American Dream and\nGod has been so good to me. My patience and activity I hope are not so much\nmanifested by my will but moreso may they be acts of trust in a God who has shown\nhimself worth trusting.\n\nSo, for me, \"what does it look like?\" is it looks like\ntrusting when I'm frustrated, it looks like breathing when circumstances aren't\nwhat I wanted, and it looks like putting one foot in front of the other in\ndaily faithful life to Jesus...\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Romans 8:24-25\"", "date_published": "2025-12-06T05:37:21Z", "date_modified": "2025-12-06T05:37:21Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "advent", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/advent-1-peter-1-3/", "url": "https://pype.dev/advent-1-peter-1-3/", "title": "Advent - 1 Peter 1:3", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e1 Peter 1:3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eQ: How does Jesus’ resurrection from death shape your hope for both the future and life today?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComing off the heals of a somewhat tense conversation with a good friend\nyesterday, this verse and question have brought me to a point of thankfulness\nto Jesus for this\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy friend and I are in the middle of a discussion on the interpretive framework\nthat\u0026rsquo;s appropriate for Genesis 2-11. Yesterday that convo did get a little\ntense, but it honestly only got there out of the history of our friendship\ntogether. And we could only share the disagreement due to the strong foundation\nof our friendship. AND EVEN BEYOND THAT we only have this friendship because of\nJesus\u0026hellip; The punchline for me on this reflection question is that Jesus beat\ndeath and invites me into new life - an amazing thing about that reality is\nthat when it comes to present-day disagreements with friends - so long as the\nfriendship is built on the resurrecting gracious power of the Lord, the\ndisagreements don\u0026rsquo;t penetrate the relationship any deeper than a papercut on\nyour finger. Without the Lord, with a shifty and sandy foundation to any\nrelationship, the stuff that feels personal cuts deep, damage - whether real\nwounds or perceived threat/attack - both take time to heal, and sometimes the\nwound is too deep and the friendship crumbles.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy friend and I here weren\u0026rsquo;t talking about sin in our personal lives or having\na tense accountability meeting - we simply disagree on some interpretive steps,\nbut by God\u0026rsquo;s grace the tension is controlled and scoped to the discussion, not\nallowed to bleed into our friendship because the foundation is the Person of\nJesus, the unchanging Lord who does not shift or change - a solid rock.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"1 Peter 1:3\"\n\n Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,\n\nQ: How does Jesus’ resurrection from death shape your hope for both the future and life today?\n\nComing off the heals of a somewhat tense conversation with a good friend\nyesterday, this verse and question have brought me to a point of thankfulness\nto Jesus for this...\n\nMy friend and I are in the middle of a discussion on the interpretive framework\nthat's appropriate for Genesis 2-11. Yesterday that convo did get a little\ntense, but it honestly only got there out of the history of our friendship\ntogether. And we could only share the disagreement due to the strong foundation\nof our friendship. AND EVEN BEYOND THAT we only have this friendship because of\nJesus... The punchline for me on this reflection question is that Jesus beat\ndeath and invites me into new life - an amazing thing about that reality is\nthat when it comes to present-day disagreements with friends - so long as the\nfriendship is built on the resurrecting gracious power of the Lord, the\ndisagreements don't penetrate the relationship any deeper than a papercut on\nyour finger. Without the Lord, with a shifty and sandy foundation to any\nrelationship, the stuff that feels personal cuts deep, damage - whether real\nwounds or perceived threat/attack - both take time to heal, and sometimes the\nwound is too deep and the friendship crumbles.\n\nMy friend and I here weren't talking about sin in our personal lives or having\na tense accountability meeting - we simply disagree on some interpretive steps,\nbut by God's grace the tension is controlled and scoped to the discussion, not\nallowed to bleed into our friendship because the foundation is the Person of\nJesus, the unchanging Lord who does not shift or change - a solid rock.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"1 Peter 1:3\"", "date_published": "2025-12-04T04:59:06Z", "date_modified": "2025-12-04T04:59:06Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "advent", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/advent-isaiah-40-31/", "url": "https://pype.dev/advent-isaiah-40-31/", "title": "Advent - Isaiah 40:31", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eIsaiah 40:31\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut those who wait for Yahweh shall renew their strength. They shall go up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not grow weary; they shall walk and not be faint.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is a pretty significant \u003cem\u003ething\u003c/em\u003e going on in my life right now that\u0026rsquo;s\ncausing me to grow a bit weary and faint. Essentially there are things and\npeople totally outside my control who have some non-trivial power over my life\nin regards to work and it\u0026rsquo;s weighing on me. It\u0026rsquo;s been several months, and I\nknow God provides, and in fact already has\u0026hellip; So as far as any \u003cem\u003eneeds\u003c/em\u003e go, God\nhas fully taken care of me. Nonetheless, the injustices and power dynamics at\nplay in certain environments, like Corporate America, are still a reality that\nI hardly have a word strong-enough to describe my distaste for\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.statically.io/gh/pypeaday/images.pype.dev/main/blog-media/20251204111852_4cc37662.gif\" alt=\"20251204111852_4cc37662.gif\"\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut I\u0026rsquo;m still breathing, still coding, walking, writing, dad\u0026rsquo;ing, husband\u0026rsquo;ing,\netc\u0026hellip; Faint and weary from the weight of these external factors, that\nultimately God is sovereign over, daily life still continues\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI saw our Advent wreath on the dining room table this morning, the first candle\nstill lit (we do battery candles for this, there was no open flame overnight)\nand I was thankful to see it because it served its purpose first thing in the\nmorning - turn my eyes to Jesus and the expectant hope in his coming and\nreturn\u0026hellip; And in that hope, in that waiting, Yahweh renews my strength each day\nto do the daily things, weather the external forces, and walk with my savior\ntoday and every day\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePraise the Lord for renewal and direction and may God have grace on me to\nremind and renew me every day\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Isaiah 40:31\"\n\n But those who wait for Yahweh shall renew their strength. They shall go up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not grow weary; they shall walk and not be faint.\n\nThere is a pretty significant _thing_ going on in my life right now that's\ncausing me to grow a bit weary and faint. Essentially there are things and\npeople totally outside my control who have some non-trivial power over my life\nin regards to work and it's weighing on me. It's been several months, and I\nknow God provides, and in fact already has... So as far as any _needs_ go, God\nhas fully taken care of me. Nonetheless, the injustices and power dynamics at\nplay in certain environments, like Corporate America, are still a reality that\nI hardly have a word strong-enough to describe my distaste for...\n\n![20251204111852_4cc37662.gif](https://cdn.statically.io/gh/pypeaday/images.pype.dev/main/blog-media/20251204111852_4cc37662.gif)\n\nBut I'm still breathing, still coding, walking, writing, dad'ing, husband'ing,\netc... Faint and weary from the weight of these external factors, that\nultimately God is sovereign over, daily life still continues...\n\nI saw our Advent wreath on the dining room table this morning, the first candle\nstill lit (we do battery candles for this, there was no open flame overnight)\nand I was thankful to see it because it served its purpose first thing in the\nmorning - turn my eyes to Jesus and the expectant hope in his coming and\nreturn... And in that hope, in that waiting, Yahweh renews my strength each day\nto do the daily things, weather the external forces, and walk with my savior\ntoday and every day\n\nPraise the Lord for renewal and direction and may God have grace on me to\nremind and renew me every day\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Isaiah 40:31\"", "date_published": "2025-12-03T05:01:47Z", "date_modified": "2025-12-03T05:01:47Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "advent", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/advent-psalm-130-7/", "url": "https://pype.dev/advent-psalm-130-7/", "title": "Advent - Psalm 130:7", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePsalm 130:7\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eO Israel, wait for Yahweh. For with Yahweh there is loyal love, and with him there is abundant redemption.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"he-sed\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eHe-sed\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#he-sed\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYahweh\u0026rsquo;s \u003ccode\u003eloyal love\u003c/code\u003e is \u003ccode\u003eחֶ֫סֶד\u003c/code\u003e (he-sed)\u0026hellip; It comes from Exodus 34\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eExodus 34:6-7\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e6 And Yahweh passed over before him, and he proclaimed, “Yahweh, Yahweh, God, who is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding with loyal love and faithfulness, 7 keeping loyal love to the thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and he does not leave utterly unpunished, punishing the guilt of fathers on sons and on sons of sons on third and fourth generations.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ccode\u003eabounding with loyal love and faithfulness\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ccode\u003ehesed\u003c/code\u003e love is undying, unending, enduring, and everlasting. Yahweh\u0026rsquo;s love for\nhis people isn\u0026rsquo;t a function of their love or loyalty to him - he is loyal to\nhimself and in that loyalty he is faithful to me\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod\u0026rsquo;s abundant redemption, as an artifact of his hesed love for me, is my daily\nbread. Every morning, with various amount of devotion, do I sit down and\nreflect on Jesus\u0026rsquo;s goodness to me\u0026hellip; Of course I pray the blessings don\u0026rsquo;t stop,\nbut the blessings are not his love and redemption, they certainly are favor,\nbut Jesus\u0026rsquo; love runs deeper than a house and steady income.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn his loyal love Jesus saves\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Psalm 130:7\"\n\n O Israel, wait for Yahweh. For with Yahweh there is loyal love, and with him there is abundant redemption.\n\n## He-sed\n\nYahweh's `loyal love` is `חֶ֫סֶד` (he-sed)... It comes from Exodus 34\n\n!!! note \"Exodus 34:6-7\"\n\n 6 And Yahweh passed over before him, and he proclaimed, “Yahweh, Yahweh, God, who is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding with loyal love and faithfulness, 7 keeping loyal love to the thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and he does not leave utterly unpunished, punishing the guilt of fathers on sons and on sons of sons on third and fourth generations.”\n\n`abounding with loyal love and faithfulness`\n\n`hesed` love is undying, unending, enduring, and everlasting. Yahweh's love for\nhis people isn't a function of their love or loyalty to him - he is loyal to\nhimself and in that loyalty he is faithful to me\n\nGod's abundant redemption, as an artifact of his hesed love for me, is my daily\nbread. Every morning, with various amount of devotion, do I sit down and\nreflect on Jesus's goodness to me... Of course I pray the blessings don't stop,\nbut the blessings are not his love and redemption, they certainly are favor,\nbut Jesus' love runs deeper than a house and steady income.\n\nIn his loyal love Jesus saves\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Psalm 130:7\"", "date_published": "2025-12-02T05:15:58Z", "date_modified": "2025-12-02T05:15:58Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "advent", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/advent-psalm-39-7/", "url": "https://pype.dev/advent-psalm-39-7/", "title": "Advent - Psalm 39:7", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePsalm 39:7\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is for you.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery Advent I wish I took it more seriously - each year trying to be slightly\nmore diligent about traditions and raising our daughters to understand more\nthan the material-driven \u0026ldquo;holiday season\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis year has had some ups and downs, ultimately God has been faithful to me in\namazing ways. And if he hadn\u0026rsquo;t blessed me in the ways he has, he\u0026rsquo;d still be\nfaithful.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy hope is for Yahweh to save\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Psalm 39:7\"\n\n And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is for you.\n\nEvery Advent I wish I took it more seriously - each year trying to be slightly\nmore diligent about traditions and raising our daughters to understand more\nthan the material-driven \"holiday season\".\n\nThis year has had some ups and downs, ultimately God has been faithful to me in\namazing ways. And if he hadn't blessed me in the ways he has, he'd still be\nfaithful.\n\nMy hope is for Yahweh to save\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Psalm 39:7\"", "date_published": "2025-12-01T05:14:45Z", "date_modified": "2025-12-01T05:14:45Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "advent", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/advent-isaiah-8-17/", "url": "https://pype.dev/advent-isaiah-8-17/", "title": "Advent - Isaiah 8:17", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eIsaiah 8:17\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd I will wait for Yahweh, who hides his face from the house of Jacob, and I will await him.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ccode\u003eI will await him\u003c/code\u003e -\u0026gt; this isn\u0026rsquo;t \u0026ldquo;waiting\u0026rdquo; like being patient\u0026hellip; The first\n\u0026ldquo;wait\u0026rdquo; is, but the second \u0026ldquo;wait\u0026rdquo; isn\u0026rsquo;t the same word. Seems like a few English\ntranslations are pick something along the lines of patience rather than\nexpectation here\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m not an expert, but I do think \u003ccode\u003ehope\u003c/code\u003e is a better translation - part of that\ninfluence is that it\u0026rsquo;s the first day\u0026rsquo;s reflection from this BP Advent Calendar\nand this first week of Advent is about \u0026ldquo;Hope\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;Hoping\u0026rdquo; isn\u0026rsquo;t just being patient - it\u0026rsquo;s \u003cstrong\u003eexpecting\u003c/strong\u003e what you are being\npatient, it\u0026rsquo;s longing for that thing to come, it\u0026rsquo;s excited anticipation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m in a short season of stress and waiting - but waiting for things that I\ndon\u0026rsquo;t really want to happen, to happen\u0026hellip; I pray in the Advent season Jesus will\nkeep my thoughts and hopes on him and not on the circumstances that are just as\nimminent as His coming, albeit probably sooner.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Isaiah 8:17\"\n\n And I will wait for Yahweh, who hides his face from the house of Jacob, and I will await him.\n\n`I will await him` -\u003e this isn't \"waiting\" like being patient... The first\n\"wait\" is, but the second \"wait\" isn't the same word. Seems like a few English\ntranslations are pick something along the lines of patience rather than\nexpectation here...\n\nI'm not an expert, but I do think `hope` is a better translation - part of that\ninfluence is that it's the first day's reflection from this BP Advent Calendar\nand this first week of Advent is about \"Hope\".\n\n\"Hoping\" isn't just being patient - it's **expecting** what you are being\npatient, it's longing for that thing to come, it's excited anticipation.\n\nI'm in a short season of stress and waiting - but waiting for things that I\ndon't really want to happen, to happen... I pray in the Advent season Jesus will\nkeep my thoughts and hopes on him and not on the circumstances that are just as\nimminent as His coming, albeit probably sooner.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Isaiah 8:17\"", "date_published": "2025-12-01T05:13:59Z", "date_modified": "2025-12-01T05:13:59Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "advent", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-ecclesiastes-9-10/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-ecclesiastes-9-10/", "title": "Reflection - Ecclesiastes 9:10", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eEcclesiastes 9:10\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhatever your hand finds to do—do it with all your might; for in Sheol—where you are going—no one works, plans, knows, or thinks about anything.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition warning\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eReflection vs Hermeneutics\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI put this little disclaimer on posts where I\u0026rsquo;m sure the direction of my\nreflection isn\u0026rsquo;t necessarily consistent with a exegetical teachin gon the\npassage I\u0026rsquo;m reflecting on. I do not know the intimate context of Ecclesiastes 9\nand so this reflection in very inra-personal and is not meant to be a point in\nteaching in any capacity\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"finding\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eFinding\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#finding\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhatever your hand finds to do\u003c/strong\u003e\u0026hellip; The beginning assumes a search. The faithful\nChristian is not idle\u0026hellip; he seeks to do good because it\u0026rsquo;s God\u0026rsquo;s calling on the\nhuman life to steward creation well which requires \u003cem\u003ework\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFinding\u003c/strong\u003e doesn\u0026rsquo;t only presume a search, it indicates finding things on the\nsearch\u0026hellip; There is no shortage of godly things to do because every single day\nwe\u0026rsquo;re faced with choices that either align or don\u0026rsquo;t with the will Yahweh.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo whatever my hand does in fact \u003cem\u003efind to do\u003c/em\u003e I am \u003cem\u003eto do\u003c/em\u003e with \u003cem\u003emight\u003c/em\u003e\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLately I have not done what I find to do with all my might. I think God is so\ngood to me, and has blessed me through years of transformation to align more\nand more of my will with his\u0026hellip; but I\u0026rsquo;ve been meaning to refactor something at\nwork for 7 months that\u0026rsquo;s actually keeping me up at night, I pick up my phone to\nscroll when I have a ticket to work on or worse - when I could be watching my\nkids play. I very clearly \u003cstrong\u003edo not do with all my might whatever my hand finds\nto do\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"grace\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eGrace\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#grace\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd yet God continues to be good to me. He continues to teach me and correct\nme, and in this reflection I feel the same consistent \u0026amp; persistent nudge I\u0026rsquo;ve\nbeen feeling since the end of Summer. Praise God for this nudge - to keep going\nin his grace and seek to make better choices today than yesterday.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy God\u0026rsquo;s grace, the things I do with my might/strength, he often blesses. And I have\nfull confidence in my King that I will be able to work, plan, know, and think a\nlot both in this unconsecrated heavenly age as well as in the eschaton. Sheol\nstill holds some power over me, I have been freed by my King but he hasn\u0026rsquo;t yet\ncome back. In the \u003cstrong\u003ealready but not yet\u003c/strong\u003e the Christian is still to seek the\nLord and trust him.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe\u0026rsquo;s been faithful to me - \u003ca href=\"/ebenezer/\" class=\"wikilink\"\u003eEbenezer\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Ecclesiastes 9:10\"\n\n Whatever your hand finds to do—do it with all your might; for in Sheol—where you are going—no one works, plans, knows, or thinks about anything.\n\n!!! warning \"Reflection vs Hermeneutics\"\n\n I put this little disclaimer on posts where I'm sure the direction of my\n reflection isn't necessarily consistent with a exegetical teachin gon the\n passage I'm reflecting on. I do not know the intimate context of Ecclesiastes 9\n and so this reflection in very inra-personal and is not meant to be a point in\n teaching in any capacity\n\n## Finding\n\n**Whatever your hand finds to do**... The beginning assumes a search. The faithful\nChristian is not idle... he seeks to do good because it's God's calling on the\nhuman life to steward creation well which requires _work_.\n\n**Finding** doesn't only presume a search, it indicates finding things on the\nsearch... There is no shortage of godly things to do because every single day\nwe're faced with choices that either align or don't with the will Yahweh.\n\nSo whatever my hand does in fact _find to do_ I am _to do_ with _might_...\n\nLately I have not done what I find to do with all my might. I think God is so\ngood to me, and has blessed me through years of transformation to align more\nand more of my will with his... but I've been meaning to refactor something at\nwork for 7 months that's actually keeping me up at night, I pick up my phone to\nscroll when I have a ticket to work on or worse - when I could be watching my\nkids play. I very clearly **do not do with all my might whatever my hand finds\nto do**\n\n## Grace\n\nAnd yet God continues to be good to me. He continues to teach me and correct\nme, and in this reflection I feel the same consistent \u0026 persistent nudge I've\nbeen feeling since the end of Summer. Praise God for this nudge - to keep going\nin his grace and seek to make better choices today than yesterday.\n\nBy God's grace, the things I do with my might/strength, he often blesses. And I have\nfull confidence in my King that I will be able to work, plan, know, and think a\nlot both in this unconsecrated heavenly age as well as in the eschaton. Sheol\nstill holds some power over me, I have been freed by my King but he hasn't yet\ncome back. In the **already but not yet** the Christian is still to seek the\nLord and trust him.\n\nHe's been faithful to me - \u003ca href=\"/ebenezer/\" class=\"wikilink\"\u003eEbenezer\u003c/a\u003e.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Ecclesiastes 9:10\"", "date_published": "2025-11-26T05:04:07Z", "date_modified": "2025-11-26T05:04:07Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "reflection", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-psalm-93/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-psalm-93/", "title": "Reflection - Psalm 93", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003eYahweh is king\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePsalm 93\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e93 Yahweh is king; he clothes himself with majesty.\nYahweh clothes himself; he girds himself with might.\nYes, the world is established so that it will not be moved.\n2 Your throne is established from of old;\nyou are from everlasting.\n3 The rivers have lifted up, O Yahweh;\nthe rivers have lifted up their ⌊rumbling⌋;\nthe rivers have lifted up their pounding.\n4 Mightier than the rumblings of many waters,\nmightier than the mighty breakers of the sea,\nYahweh on high is mighty.\n5 Your testimonies are fully reliable.\nHoliness is fitting for your house,\nO Yahweh, ⌊forever⌋.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"observations\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eObservations\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#observations\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYahweh is king; \u003cstrong\u003ehe clothes himself\u003c/strong\u003e with majesty. \u003cstrong\u003eYahweh clothes\nhimself\u003c/strong\u003e; he girds himself with might.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt seems relevant to focus on Yahweh, the king, clothing himself. He has\npartners, humans, and ceremonial guardians in the spiritual realm (cherubim,\nseraphim, etc) and yet he clothes himself. His court doesn\u0026rsquo;t clothe him - they\npraise him certainly, but no one puts on Yahweh\u0026rsquo;s kingly attire besides\nYahweh himself\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou are everlasting\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIn my post \u003ca href=\"/by-gods-grace/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"By God\u0026#39;s Grace\" data-description=\"!!! note \u0026#34;Style\u0026#34;\" data-date=\"2025-11-18\" data-preview=\"!!! note \u0026#34;Style\u0026#34;\"\u003eBy God's Grace\u003c/a\u003e I note that Yahweh owns us and everything. He\nis the ruler of the universe because he is everlasting\u0026hellip; no beginning and no\nend\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"reflection\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eReflection\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#reflection\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/by-gods-grace/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"By God\u0026#39;s Grace\" data-description=\"!!! note \u0026#34;Style\u0026#34;\" data-date=\"2025-11-18\" data-preview=\"!!! note \u0026#34;Style\u0026#34;\"\u003eBy God's Grace\u003c/a\u003e the words \u0026ldquo;Yahweh is king\u0026rdquo; are a comfort to me. I am a\nwretch, but a wretch Yahweh is working on, has grace with, and ultimately\ninvites into paradise\u0026hellip; Paradise in that he invites me to be a complete human,\nto fulfil purpose I was designed for. By God\u0026rsquo;s grace, he is king and he\u0026rsquo;s given\nme a will that seeks to align with his\u0026hellip; Amen\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\nYahweh is king\n\n!!! note \"Psalm 93\"\n\n 93 Yahweh is king; he clothes himself with majesty.\n Yahweh clothes himself; he girds himself with might.\n Yes, the world is established so that it will not be moved.\n 2 Your throne is established from of old;\n you are from everlasting.\n 3 The rivers have lifted up, O Yahweh;\n the rivers have lifted up their ⌊rumbling⌋;\n the rivers have lifted up their pounding.\n 4 Mightier than the rumblings of many waters,\n mightier than the mighty breakers of the sea,\n Yahweh on high is mighty.\n 5 Your testimonies are fully reliable.\n Holiness is fitting for your house,\n O Yahweh, ⌊forever⌋.\n\n## Observations\n\n- Yahweh is king; **he clothes himself** with majesty. **Yahweh clothes\n himself**; he girds himself with might.\n\n - It seems relevant to focus on Yahweh, the king, clothing himself. He has\n partners, humans, and ceremonial guardians in the spiritual realm (cherubim,\n seraphim, etc) and yet he clothes himself. His court doesn't clothe him - they\n praise him certainly, but no one puts on Yahweh's kingly attire besides\n Yahweh himself\n\n- You are everlasting\n - In my post \u003ca href=\"/by-gods-grace/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"By God\u0026#39;s Grace\" data-description=\"!!! note \u0026#34;Style\u0026#34;\" data-date=\"2025-11-18\"\u003eBy God\u0026#39;s Grace\u003c/a\u003e I note that Yahweh owns us and everything. He\n is the ruler of the universe because he is everlasting... no beginning and no\n end\n\n## Reflection\n\n\u003ca href=\"/by-gods-grace/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"By God\u0026#39;s Grace\" data-description=\"!!! note \u0026#34;Style\u0026#34;\" data-date=\"2025-11-18\"\u003eBy God\u0026#39;s Grace\u003c/a\u003e the words \"Yahweh is king\" are a comfort to me. I am a\nwretch, but a wretch Yahweh is working on, has grace with, and ultimately\ninvites into paradise... Paradise in that he invites me to be a complete human,\nto fulfil purpose I was designed for. By God's grace, he is king and he's given\nme a will that seeks to align with his... Amen\n", "summary": "Yahweh is king", "date_published": "2025-11-19T05:59:43Z", "date_modified": "2025-11-19T05:59:43Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "reflection", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/by-gods-grace/", "url": "https://pype.dev/by-gods-grace/", "title": "By God’s Grace", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eStyle\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis blog was fully orated and transcribed. I edited the transcript with some links and formatting\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n\u003cimg src=\"https://dropper.wayl.one/file/a014f1f5-0ea6-46b7-94cd-c2c6f02ad9a6.mp3\" alt=\"You can listen now!\"\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOkay, so I had this thought about, honestly, just like what I would say. If\nsomebody asked me, why do I say the phrase \u0026ldquo;by God\u0026rsquo;s grace\u0026rdquo; so often? And it\u0026rsquo;s\nrelated to a \u003ca href=\"/reflection-psalm-9-1\"\u003ethought I had a while back\u003c/a\u003e where my\nbest friend would, where Michael would say, \u0026ldquo;praise God\u0026rdquo;, out of like forced\nhabit. And it developed into a great point of spiritual maturity to say by reflex\n\u0026ldquo;praise God\u0026rdquo; in you know our slightly older age here, in our young parenthood.\nAnd so it\u0026rsquo;s really related to that - I also say \u0026ldquo;by God\u0026rsquo;s grace\u0026rdquo; a lot\nand why do I say that?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI think it\u0026rsquo;s related to these central themes that have been a part of my\nreflections of freedom but freedom to what? It is freedom to love Jesus - see\n\u003ca href=\"/helkyo-what-is-it-for-god-to-draw-man-to-him/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Helkyo - What is it for God to draw man to him?\" data-description=\"In John 6 there is a curious phrase about how the Father initiates the process of Salvation in the hearts of men.\" data-date=\"2025-10-27\" data-preview=\"In John 6 there is a curious phrase about how the Father initiates the process of Salvation in the hearts of men.\"\u003eHelkyo - What is it for God to draw man to him?\u003c/a\u003e And before that, I\u0026rsquo;m not free\nat all.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition danger\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eDanger\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m just bound by sin.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd that paired with believing loyalty and the choices I make every day - And\nI\u0026rsquo;m free to make the right choice\u0026hellip;\nAnd sometimes even in God\u0026rsquo;s sovereignty, I obey my sin instead of my king.\nWhich brings me to by God\u0026rsquo;s grace.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"god-s-grace\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eGod’s Grace\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#god-s-grace\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy life is not my own, and this is \u003ca href=\"/kind/\" class=\"glossary-term\" title=\"kind - kubernetes in docker\" data-hover-title=\"kind\"\u003ekind\u003c/a\u003e of a cliched phrase almost, but it\u0026rsquo;s\nsomething I think I\u0026rsquo;m just, I\u0026rsquo;m coming to accept in a new way.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eNote\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy life does not belong to me.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"belongings\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eBelongings\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#belongings\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have possessions and I can do kind of whatever I want with them.\nI could break them and mend them and use them or not or let them get dirty or\nclean them. And it\u0026rsquo;s up to me because they\u0026rsquo;re my possessions.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd we have lots of Christian language - \u0026ldquo;God adopts us as sons\u0026rdquo; and we\u0026rsquo;re\n\u0026ldquo;co-heirs and co-conquerers with Jesus\u0026rdquo;\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThose things are true, but also God owns us.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eNote\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEverything in creation is his.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe redeems us unto himself, not just as a father and son, not just as the\nprodigal son or something like that - all things are made by him and held together by him.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe owns us.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo that\u0026rsquo;s a \u003cem\u003efundamental reality\u003c/em\u003e for all people to either\u0026hellip;\n\u003cstrong\u003eaccept\u003c/strong\u003e or not, because there\u0026rsquo;s nothing they can do to \u003cstrong\u003eaffect\u003c/strong\u003e it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNothing anybody can do will update the reality that \u003ca href=\"/reflection-psalm-93/\"\u003eYahweh is king\u003c/a\u003e.\nPeople can either accept that or not.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy God\u0026rsquo;s grace, I am free to accept it.\nBy God\u0026rsquo;s grace, he has picked me out of the kingdom of darkness and placed me,\nimported me into the kingdom of light.\nHe has made me a citizen of the celestial city.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI didn\u0026rsquo;t choose it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI didn\u0026rsquo;t ask.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe \u003ca href=\"/helkyo-what-is-it-for-god-to-draw-man-to-him\"\u003edrew\u003c/a\u003e me to him.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"freedom\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eFreedom\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#freedom\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI can say \u0026ldquo;by God\u0026rsquo;s grace\u0026rdquo; because it\u0026rsquo;s by no other thing that I have breath\nright now and that I can write this reflection.\nHe holds the universe together.\nMy life is not my own to live to me because I don\u0026rsquo;t own my life.\nI am the possession of the king of the universe.\nAnd I am free to find fulfillment and joy in that.\nI am free to be satisfied by the king.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFreed from the oppression of materialism and worldliness and lust and greed.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m freed from the oppression of darkness.\nFreed to accept and call Yahweh my loving king rather than the conquering king\nwho I stand opposed to in the end times, whatever that kind of means.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy God\u0026rsquo;s grace, I get to love him.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd so to today, why do I say by God\u0026rsquo;s grace?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBecause everything that is good that happens to me is by his grace.\nAnd every trial or pain or bad thing I could think of or experience is only as bad as it is by his grace.\nAnd that trial, whatever it was or whatever may come -\nI pray I can echo Paul\u0026rsquo;s words and say that it pales in comparison to the glory of the king.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePraise the Lord.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Style\"\n\n This blog was fully orated and transcribed. I edited the transcript with some links and formatting\n\n![You can listen now!](https://dropper.wayl.one/file/a014f1f5-0ea6-46b7-94cd-c2c6f02ad9a6.mp3)\n\nOkay, so I had this thought about, honestly, just like what I would say. If\nsomebody asked me, why do I say the phrase \"by God's grace\" so often? And it's\nrelated to a [thought I had a while back](/reflection-psalm-9-1) where my\nbest friend would, where Michael would say, \"praise God\", out of like forced\nhabit. And it developed into a great point of spiritual maturity to say by reflex\n\"praise God\" in you know our slightly older age here, in our young parenthood.\nAnd so it's really related to that - I also say \"by God's grace\" a lot\nand why do I say that?\n\nI think it's related to these central themes that have been a part of my\nreflections of freedom but freedom to what? It is freedom to love Jesus - see\n\u003ca href=\"/helkyo-what-is-it-for-god-to-draw-man-to-him/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Helkyo - What is it for God to draw man to him?\" data-description=\"In John 6 there is a curious phrase about how the Father initiates the process of Salvation in the hearts of men.\" data-date=\"2025-10-27\"\u003eHelkyo - What is it for God to draw man to him?\u003c/a\u003e And before that, I'm not free\nat all.\n\n!!! danger \"\"\n\n I'm just bound by sin.\n\nAnd that paired with believing loyalty and the choices I make every day - And\nI'm free to make the right choice...\nAnd sometimes even in God's sovereignty, I obey my sin instead of my king.\nWhich brings me to by God's grace.\n\n## God's Grace\n\nMy life is not my own, and this is kind of a cliched phrase almost, but it's\nsomething I think I'm just, I'm coming to accept in a new way.\n\n!!! note \"\"\n\n My life does not belong to me.\n\n### Belongings\n\nI have possessions and I can do kind of whatever I want with them.\nI could break them and mend them and use them or not or let them get dirty or\nclean them. And it's up to me because they're my possessions.\n\nAnd we have lots of Christian language - \"God adopts us as sons\" and we're\n\"co-heirs and co-conquerers with Jesus\"...\n\nThose things are true, but also God owns us.\n\n!!! note \"\"\n\n Everything in creation is his.\n\nHe redeems us unto himself, not just as a father and son, not just as the\nprodigal son or something like that - all things are made by him and held together by him.\n\nHe owns us.\n\nSo that's a _fundamental reality_ for all people to either...\n**accept** or not, because there's nothing they can do to **affect** it.\n\nNothing anybody can do will update the reality that [Yahweh is king](/reflection-psalm-93/).\nPeople can either accept that or not.\n\nBy God's grace, I am free to accept it.\nBy God's grace, he has picked me out of the kingdom of darkness and placed me,\nimported me into the kingdom of light.\nHe has made me a citizen of the celestial city.\n\nI didn't choose it.\n\nI didn't ask.\n\nHe [drew](/helkyo-what-is-it-for-god-to-draw-man-to-him) me to him.\n\n## Freedom\n\nI can say \"by God's grace\" because it's by no other thing that I have breath\nright now and that I can write this reflection.\nHe holds the universe together.\nMy life is not my own to live to me because I don't own my life.\nI am the possession of the king of the universe.\nAnd I am free to find fulfillment and joy in that.\nI am free to be satisfied by the king.\n\nFreed from the oppression of materialism and worldliness and lust and greed.\n\nI'm freed from the oppression of darkness.\nFreed to accept and call Yahweh my loving king rather than the conquering king\nwho I stand opposed to in the end times, whatever that kind of means.\n\nBy God's grace, I get to love him.\n\nAnd so to today, why do I say by God's grace?\n\nBecause everything that is good that happens to me is by his grace.\nAnd every trial or pain or bad thing I could think of or experience is only as bad as it is by his grace.\nAnd that trial, whatever it was or whatever may come -\nI pray I can echo Paul's words and say that it pales in comparison to the glory of the king.\n\nPraise the Lord.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Style\"", "date_published": "2025-11-18T13:27:15Z", "date_modified": "2025-11-18T13:27:15Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "reflection", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-go-forward-only-thing-to-do/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-go-forward-only-thing-to-do/", "title": "Reflection - Go Forward - Only Thing To Do", "content_html": "\u003ch2 id=\"reflection\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eReflection\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#reflection\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday I am thinking about the blessings in my life\u0026hellip; In my opinion, I have a\nlot going for me - God has been so utterly good to me that finding fault with\nanything that was outside my control feels near-sinful\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn my adult life I have a reached several \u0026ldquo;checkpoints of success\u0026rdquo; for lack of\na better stupid word\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003esmokin\u0026rsquo; hot wife that loves Jesus\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e2 beautiful daughters\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003estable work that I\u0026rsquo;m also good at\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eby all accounts - excellent physical health\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eby all accounts - very decent mental health (more on this later)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ea house, food, water, and the means to do recreation\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo, it\u0026rsquo;s very clear that God has been very good to me - and at the same time\nit\u0026rsquo;s probably wrong to give the impression that there was no sacrifice, pain,\nor affliction in my life so far\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere\u0026rsquo;s what\u0026rsquo;s on my mind - I \u003ca href=\"/kind/\" class=\"glossary-term\" title=\"kind - kubernetes in docker\" data-hover-title=\"kind\"\u003ekind\u003c/a\u003e of think God has given me so much in my adult\nlife as a byproduct of my childhood. This note will not be full of gory\ndetails, but here\u0026rsquo;s one I find comical (though my wife finds it sad\u0026hellip; you be\nthe judge)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"breakfast-and-school\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eBreakfast and School\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#breakfast-and-school\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen I was a kid, like elementary school, I would take care of myself to pretty\nextraordinary degrees. The short of this example is that at 5 years old I was\ngetting myself up in the morning, getting dressed, making breakfast, and then\nwaking my mom up to take me to school.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI recently found out that my dad knew this and when he made some work changes\nthat resulted in him being home in the morning, it turned out I wanted nearly\nnothing to do with it! I still wanted to make my own breakfast and do my normal\nroutine.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eNote\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTurns out a lot of that is explained by Autism \u003cem\u003eshrug emoji\u003c/em\u003e who knew?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLooking back, there\u0026rsquo;s deep threads about who I am, my work ethic, outlook on\nresponsibility, etc. that have roots in my childhood morning situation\u0026hellip; but\nto me, what I think are the results of this upbringing are the gifts that God\nhas given me\u0026hellip; not to \u0026ldquo;make up\u0026rdquo; for a lost childhood, but as humans simply\nadapt they evolve and become better at handling what\u0026rsquo;s thrown at them.\nTheologically I would say these experiences teach wisdom, and wisdom is a\npattern in which we are to walk through life in a godly manner.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLet me wrap up this short anecdote - my dad was visiting recently and over the\ncourse of conversation this fact about my childhood came up. We\u0026rsquo;re all adults\nnow, my parents are divorced and married to other people, and when this came up\nI saw for just a second some pain on my dad\u0026rsquo;s face. It\u0026rsquo;s probably why my wife\nthinks this is sad too - for the observer, my childhood wasn\u0026rsquo;t taken from me,\nbut it was never given either (again - there\u0026rsquo;s \u003cstrong\u003emuch more\u003c/strong\u003e than this silly\nbreakfast thing). That\u0026rsquo;s sad to emotionally-regulated adults who know what a\nchild needs. And in my journey as a dad I totally see how I was neglected in\nmany ways - but again, I\u0026rsquo;m not upset about it, and at the same time I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t\nattempt to replicate my experience for my own children\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI guess what I\u0026rsquo;m saying is that God is good, and I think it\u0026rsquo;s in spending so\nmuch time and energy in focusing on his goodness that the sad stuff can kind of\njust\u0026hellip; fall away\u0026hellip; It certainly happened, but it happen\u003cstrong\u003eed\u003c/strong\u003e and today is a\nnew day.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFinally consider Bilbo, The Hobbit, when he falls down deep into the goblin\u0026rsquo;s\ncave, right before meeting Golem. He takes a tumble, gets up, and\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eOnly thing to do\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Go back?\u0026quot; he thought. \u0026ldquo;No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!\u0026rdquo; So up he got, and trotted along\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n## Reflection\n\nToday I am thinking about the blessings in my life... In my opinion, I have a\nlot going for me - God has been so utterly good to me that finding fault with\nanything that was outside my control feels near-sinful...\n\nIn my adult life I have a reached several \"checkpoints of success\" for lack of\na better stupid word...\n\n1. smokin' hot wife that loves Jesus\n2. 2 beautiful daughters\n3. stable work that I'm also good at\n4. by all accounts - excellent physical health\n5. by all accounts - very decent mental health (more on this later)\n6. a house, food, water, and the means to do recreation\n\nSo, it's very clear that God has been very good to me - and at the same time\nit's probably wrong to give the impression that there was no sacrifice, pain,\nor affliction in my life so far...\n\nHere's what's on my mind - I kind of think God has given me so much in my adult\nlife as a byproduct of my childhood. This note will not be full of gory\ndetails, but here's one I find comical (though my wife finds it sad... you be\nthe judge)\n\n### Breakfast and School\n\nWhen I was a kid, like elementary school, I would take care of myself to pretty\nextraordinary degrees. The short of this example is that at 5 years old I was\ngetting myself up in the morning, getting dressed, making breakfast, and then\nwaking my mom up to take me to school.\n\nI recently found out that my dad knew this and when he made some work changes\nthat resulted in him being home in the morning, it turned out I wanted nearly\nnothing to do with it! I still wanted to make my own breakfast and do my normal\nroutine.\n\n!!! note \"\"\n\n Turns out a lot of that is explained by Autism *shrug emoji* who knew?\n\nLooking back, there's deep threads about who I am, my work ethic, outlook on\nresponsibility, etc. that have roots in my childhood morning situation... but\nto me, what I think are the results of this upbringing are the gifts that God\nhas given me... not to \"make up\" for a lost childhood, but as humans simply\nadapt they evolve and become better at handling what's thrown at them.\nTheologically I would say these experiences teach wisdom, and wisdom is a\npattern in which we are to walk through life in a godly manner.\n\nLet me wrap up this short anecdote - my dad was visiting recently and over the\ncourse of conversation this fact about my childhood came up. We're all adults\nnow, my parents are divorced and married to other people, and when this came up\nI saw for just a second some pain on my dad's face. It's probably why my wife\nthinks this is sad too - for the observer, my childhood wasn't taken from me,\nbut it was never given either (again - there's **much more** than this silly\nbreakfast thing). That's sad to emotionally-regulated adults who know what a\nchild needs. And in my journey as a dad I totally see how I was neglected in\nmany ways - but again, I'm not upset about it, and at the same time I wouldn't\nattempt to replicate my experience for my own children...\n\nI guess what I'm saying is that God is good, and I think it's in spending so\nmuch time and energy in focusing on his goodness that the sad stuff can kind of\njust... fall away... It certainly happened, but it happen**ed** and today is a\nnew day.\n\nFinally consider Bilbo, The Hobbit, when he falls down deep into the goblin's\ncave, right before meeting Golem. He takes a tumble, gets up, and...\n\n!!! note \"Only thing to do\"\n\n “Go back?\" he thought. \"No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!\" So up he got, and trotted along...\n", "summary": "Today I am thinking about the blessings in my life... In my opinion, I have a lot going for me - God has been so utterly good to me that finding fault with...", "date_published": "2025-11-05T06:04:16Z", "date_modified": "2025-11-05T06:04:16Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "reflection", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/deuteronomy-6-and-the-shema/", "url": "https://pype.dev/deuteronomy-6-and-the-shema/", "title": "Deuteronomy 6 and the Shema", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003eThe Shema from Judaism, archived in Deuteronomy 6, is a pinnacle tradition in\nHebrew Judaism, and \u003cem\u003eshould be\u003c/em\u003e in Christianity. I cannot claim to be an\nexpert, but it\u0026rsquo;s one of the fundamentals - shema means to listen AND obey, and\nthis was the primary charge given to God\u0026rsquo;s people. His people were also to\nrepeat his commandments, make them apart of their lives, and introduce their\nchildren to the Laws of God so that the next generation may not lose sight of\nGod\u0026rsquo;s oracles and truths.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eThe Shema\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDeuteronomy 6:4–5 (LEB): 4 “Hear, Israel, Yahweh our God, Yahweh is unique. 5 And you shall love Yahweh your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your might.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"my-kids\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMy Kids\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#my-kids\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI talk with my kids about \u003cem\u003eobedience\u003c/em\u003e a lot\u0026hellip; and it\u0026rsquo;s fine, because they\u0026rsquo;re\nyoung kids in a stage of life of needing near-constant correction. I love them\nand so because I love them they need to obey me, because no one in the world\ncares more about their safety and flourishing than I do, and no matter what\n\u003cem\u003ethey see\u003c/em\u003e they need to trust me more than what they see - ie. listen to me\nover anything else going on\u0026hellip; Now, this is a hard lesson for a child certainly,\nbut is it not exactly what Jesus requests of me? How easy would I say it is then?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut I think the key with the kids is to regularly talk about listening in the\ncontext of love and grace. We tell our girls constantly that we love them, that\nthey\u0026rsquo;re safe and protected, and because of those truths they should listen to\nus (the parents).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"the-point\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eThe Point\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#the-point\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis isn\u0026rsquo;t a ground breaking post, to even grace it with the title\u0026hellip; It\u0026rsquo;s a\nshort reminder to me that kids need structure and guidance. I am here to\nprovide that to my kids. And in the exact same way that they are to \u003ccode\u003eshema\u003c/code\u003e, to\nlisten and obey me, I am to \u003ccode\u003eshema\u003c/code\u003e, to listen and obey the Lord\u0026hellip; For the\nLord my God is One.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\nThe Shema from Judaism, archived in Deuteronomy 6, is a pinnacle tradition in\nHebrew Judaism, and _should be_ in Christianity. I cannot claim to be an\nexpert, but it's one of the fundamentals - shema means to listen AND obey, and\nthis was the primary charge given to God's people. His people were also to\nrepeat his commandments, make them apart of their lives, and introduce their\nchildren to the Laws of God so that the next generation may not lose sight of\nGod's oracles and truths.\n\n!!! note \"The Shema\"\n\n Deuteronomy 6:4–5 (LEB): 4 “Hear, Israel, Yahweh our God, Yahweh is unique. 5 And you shall love Yahweh your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your might.\n\n## My Kids\n\nI talk with my kids about _obedience_ a lot... and it's fine, because they're\nyoung kids in a stage of life of needing near-constant correction. I love them\nand so because I love them they need to obey me, because no one in the world\ncares more about their safety and flourishing than I do, and no matter what\n_they see_ they need to trust me more than what they see - ie. listen to me\nover anything else going on... Now, this is a hard lesson for a child certainly,\nbut is it not exactly what Jesus requests of me? How easy would I say it is then?\n\nBut I think the key with the kids is to regularly talk about listening in the\ncontext of love and grace. We tell our girls constantly that we love them, that\nthey're safe and protected, and because of those truths they should listen to\nus (the parents).\n\n## The Point\n\nThis isn't a ground breaking post, to even grace it with the title... It's a\nshort reminder to me that kids need structure and guidance. I am here to\nprovide that to my kids. And in the exact same way that they are to `shema`, to\nlisten and obey me, I am to `shema`, to listen and obey the Lord... For the\nLord my God is One.\n", "summary": "The Shema from Judaism, archived in Deuteronomy 6, is a pinnacle tradition in Hebrew Judaism, and _ in Christianity. I cannot claim to be an expert, but it's...", "date_published": "2025-11-04T05:10:11Z", "date_modified": "2025-11-04T05:10:11Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "shema", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-psalm-9-1/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-psalm-9-1/", "title": "Reflection - Psalm 9:1", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePsalm 9:1\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI will thank Yahweh with all my heart. I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"praise-god\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003ePraise God\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#praise-god\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe phrase \u0026ldquo;praise God\u0026rdquo; has become a common phrase in my life. I\u0026rsquo;m blessed to\nhave my best friend, Michael, in my life after 15+ years. Back in high school,\nI forget how it came up, but he told me that anytime something good happens, he\nforces himself to just audibly say \u0026ldquo;praise God\u0026rdquo;. Jesus certainly quickened that\nto my heart, and it was again in high school that I witnessed some fruit of,\nnot using the phrase, but practicing giving glory to God in the smaller moments.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome youth group kids were helping a church member replace their roof - so lots\nof high-schoolers tearing shingles off, hauling garbage, etc. As we were on the\nroof, one of the guys nearly fell off (we hadn\u0026rsquo;t even heard of \u0026ldquo;tie-offs\u0026rdquo;\nbefore). Something like a nail caught his shorts and he recovered his grip. I\nimmediately said \u0026ldquo;Praise God\u0026rdquo;, and him and another guy looked at me and they go\n\u0026ldquo;\u0026hellip;. ya! Praise God for sure!\u0026rdquo; and I think they had a similar experience then\nlike I had with Michael, where when something good happens we draw attention to\nthe Lord, and that edifies those around us.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI don\u0026rsquo;t know when it became habit, but certainly \u0026ldquo;today\u0026rdquo; not a day goes by where\nthe phrase \u0026ldquo;Praise God\u0026rdquo; doesn\u0026rsquo;t leave my lips at least once. On one hand, I\nthink Jesus has changed my heart to be more immediately responsive to him as\nthe giver of good things, and so it\u0026rsquo;s natural now that when something good\nhappens not to \u0026ldquo;just say\u0026rdquo; \u0026ldquo;Praise the Lord\u0026rdquo;, but to give thanks and actually\npraise the Lord!. This has been an edifying practice in my life for my own\nheart. However, on the other hand, bringing attention to God\u0026rsquo;s glory in the\nwake of good things is good for others. I have noticed my wife and kids, in\ntheir own ways, adopt a similar response to good things, and that\u0026rsquo;s\nbeen a steady stream of encouragement for me as the Lord continues to shape me\nand my family.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Psalm 9:1\"\n\n I will thank Yahweh with all my heart. I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.\n\n## Praise God\n\nThe phrase \"praise God\" has become a common phrase in my life. I'm blessed to\nhave my best friend, Michael, in my life after 15+ years. Back in high school,\nI forget how it came up, but he told me that anytime something good happens, he\nforces himself to just audibly say \"praise God\". Jesus certainly quickened that\nto my heart, and it was again in high school that I witnessed some fruit of,\nnot using the phrase, but practicing giving glory to God in the smaller moments.\n\nSome youth group kids were helping a church member replace their roof - so lots\nof high-schoolers tearing shingles off, hauling garbage, etc. As we were on the\nroof, one of the guys nearly fell off (we hadn't even heard of \"tie-offs\"\nbefore). Something like a nail caught his shorts and he recovered his grip. I\nimmediately said \"Praise God\", and him and another guy looked at me and they go\n\".... ya! Praise God for sure!\" and I think they had a similar experience then\nlike I had with Michael, where when something good happens we draw attention to\nthe Lord, and that edifies those around us.\n\nI don't know when it became habit, but certainly \"today\" not a day goes by where\nthe phrase \"Praise God\" doesn't leave my lips at least once. On one hand, I\nthink Jesus has changed my heart to be more immediately responsive to him as\nthe giver of good things, and so it's natural now that when something good\nhappens not to \"just say\" \"Praise the Lord\", but to give thanks and actually\npraise the Lord!. This has been an edifying practice in my life for my own\nheart. However, on the other hand, bringing attention to God's glory in the\nwake of good things is good for others. I have noticed my wife and kids, in\ntheir own ways, adopt a similar response to good things, and that's\nbeen a steady stream of encouragement for me as the Lord continues to shape me\nand my family.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Psalm 9:1\"", "date_published": "2025-10-30T06:12:37Z", "date_modified": "2025-10-30T06:12:37Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "reflection", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-john-15-19/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-john-15-19/", "title": "Reflection - John 15:19", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eSpurgeon\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf Jesus undertook to bring me to glory, and if the Father promised that he\nwould give me to the Son to be a part of the infinite reward of the travail of\nhis soul; then, my soul, till God himself shall be unfaithful, till Jesus shall\ncease to be the truth, thou art safe.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJohn 15:19\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are\nnot of the world, but I chose you out of the world, for this reason the world\nhates you.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"the-world\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eThe World\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#the-world\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;Not of this world\u0026rdquo; was a clothing brand when I was a kid that made emo-styled\nclothing so edgy teens could be reminded to live a moral life. This was at\nleast how I took the phrase \u0026ldquo;Not of this world\u0026rdquo; for most of my life\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe phrase shouldn\u0026rsquo;t be trivialized. But as it was to me (not to blame that\nclothing brand) it turned one of the most freeing truths about Yahweh\u0026rsquo;s\nsovereignty into a list of do\u0026rsquo;s and don\u0026rsquo;t\u0026rsquo;s. It actually moralizes Jesus in\npretty much the same way anyone does who brings him up when it\u0026rsquo;s convenient for\ntheir political argument.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat irony is actually \u003ca href=\"/kind/\" class=\"glossary-term\" title=\"kind - kubernetes in docker\" data-hover-title=\"kind\"\u003ekind\u003c/a\u003e of funny to me right now\u0026hellip; Jesus explicitly tells\nhis disciples that they are not of this world, because God has chosen them (see\n\u003ca href=\"/helkyo-what-is-it-for-god-to-draw-man-to-him/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Helkyo - What is it for God to draw man to him?\" data-description=\"In John 6 there is a curious phrase about how the Father initiates the process of Salvation in the hearts of men.\" data-date=\"2025-10-27\" data-preview=\"In John 6 there is a curious phrase about how the Father initiates the process of Salvation in the hearts of men.\"\u003eHelkyo - What is it for God to draw man to him?\u003c/a\u003e for some thoughts on it). And\nhere we go, doing exactly what the world would otherwise do with his teaching.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"reflection\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eReflection\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#reflection\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI almost feel like my reflections have all been the same thing in recent\nweeks\u0026hellip; The freedom offered by Jesus to those chosen from before the beginning\nof time is beautiful. It\u0026rsquo;s beautiful because that freedom, which is actually\nfreedom to follow Jesus, is what leads to human flourishing. Not necessarily\nthe fastest technological advancements (but according to the story of Genesis 6\nand the Watchers, technology can enable humans to do much more harm than good),\nbut the most-human life we can live is one in community with God and his\npeople.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe highest calling of man is to glorify God and honor him - and of course that\ncalling is only actually achievable by those he calls. It has nothing to do\nwith why he calls them, \u003cstrong\u003eno one\u003c/strong\u003e in God\u0026rsquo;s family can claim to have earned\ntheir place. That\u0026rsquo;s the beauty. And for Christians, that ought to drive us to\ninteract with non-believers perhaps differently\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToo many Christians do I know who have Christian-expectations for\nnon-Christians\u0026hellip; I have been to plenty of small groups where a topic becomes\nthe ridiculous level of debauchery celebrated in the public square. My fellow\nChristian brothers may rightly point out evil and wickedness but often it\u0026rsquo;s\npaired with disappointment\u0026hellip; To that I always say \u0026ldquo;why?\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition danger\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eDanger\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat other expectation is there of a godless community than godless behavior?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s precisely because the Father chose the believers and gives them to Jesus\nthat they/we should live how humans were designed to live - in accordance with\nYahweh\u0026rsquo;s kingship of the world. In submitting to Yahweh, by his own election,\nthe world (which celebrates debauchery) will inevitably hate the believer.\nThe believer should also come to hate the debauchery. But nowhere in this\nlogical line of thinking here do I see reason to be disappointed or surprised\nin the world\u0026hellip; once again, if the Father has not chosen you \u003cstrong\u003eout of it\u003c/strong\u003e then\n\u003cstrong\u003ewhat else would any believer expect?\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo what about me? Reflections aren\u0026rsquo;t meant for focusing on \u0026ldquo;them\u0026rdquo;\u0026hellip; So, Jesus\nsays that I\u0026rsquo;m \u0026ldquo;not of this world\u0026rdquo; and that the world will hate me. I\u0026rsquo;ve\ncertainly faced anger and hatred over my faith, but what else would I expect?!\nHowever, I don\u0026rsquo;t think that Jesus means here that we should strive to be hated by\nthe world, or that being hated is confirmation that we\u0026rsquo;re doing things right.\nNo, it\u0026rsquo;s not about behavior - it\u0026rsquo;s about reality. The reality that the\nbeliever has, that I have, been chosen.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo that reality I echo Spurgeon\u0026rsquo;s words\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf Jesus undertook to bring me to glory, and if the Father promised that he would give me to the Son to be a part of the infinite reward of the travail of his soul; then, my soul, till God himself shall be unfaithful, till Jesus shall cease to be the truth, thou art safe.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy soul, thou art safe.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Spurgeon\"\n\n If Jesus undertook to bring me to glory, and if the Father promised that he\n would give me to the Son to be a part of the infinite reward of the travail of\n his soul; then, my soul, till God himself shall be unfaithful, till Jesus shall\n cease to be the truth, thou art safe.\n\n!!! note \"John 15:19\"\n\n If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are\n not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, for this reason the world\n hates you.\n\n## The World\n\n\"Not of this world\" was a clothing brand when I was a kid that made emo-styled\nclothing so edgy teens could be reminded to live a moral life. This was at\nleast how I took the phrase \"Not of this world\" for most of my life...\n\nThe phrase shouldn't be trivialized. But as it was to me (not to blame that\nclothing brand) it turned one of the most freeing truths about Yahweh's\nsovereignty into a list of do's and don't's. It actually moralizes Jesus in\npretty much the same way anyone does who brings him up when it's convenient for\ntheir political argument.\n\nThat irony is actually kind of funny to me right now... Jesus explicitly tells\nhis disciples that they are not of this world, because God has chosen them (see\n\u003ca href=\"/helkyo-what-is-it-for-god-to-draw-man-to-him/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Helkyo - What is it for God to draw man to him?\" data-description=\"In John 6 there is a curious phrase about how the Father initiates the process of Salvation in the hearts of men.\" data-date=\"2025-10-27\"\u003eHelkyo - What is it for God to draw man to him?\u003c/a\u003e for some thoughts on it). And\nhere we go, doing exactly what the world would otherwise do with his teaching.\n\n## Reflection\n\nI almost feel like my reflections have all been the same thing in recent\nweeks... The freedom offered by Jesus to those chosen from before the beginning\nof time is beautiful. It's beautiful because that freedom, which is actually\nfreedom to follow Jesus, is what leads to human flourishing. Not necessarily\nthe fastest technological advancements (but according to the story of Genesis 6\nand the Watchers, technology can enable humans to do much more harm than good),\nbut the most-human life we can live is one in community with God and his\npeople.\n\nThe highest calling of man is to glorify God and honor him - and of course that\ncalling is only actually achievable by those he calls. It has nothing to do\nwith why he calls them, **no one** in God's family can claim to have earned\ntheir place. That's the beauty. And for Christians, that ought to drive us to\ninteract with non-believers perhaps differently...\n\nToo many Christians do I know who have Christian-expectations for\nnon-Christians... I have been to plenty of small groups where a topic becomes\nthe ridiculous level of debauchery celebrated in the public square. My fellow\nChristian brothers may rightly point out evil and wickedness but often it's\npaired with disappointment... To that I always say \"why?\".\n\n!!! danger \"\"\n\n What other expectation is there of a godless community than godless behavior?\n\nIt's precisely because the Father chose the believers and gives them to Jesus\nthat they/we should live how humans were designed to live - in accordance with\nYahweh's kingship of the world. In submitting to Yahweh, by his own election,\nthe world (which celebrates debauchery) will inevitably hate the believer.\nThe believer should also come to hate the debauchery. But nowhere in this\nlogical line of thinking here do I see reason to be disappointed or surprised\nin the world... once again, if the Father has not chosen you **out of it** then\n**what else would any believer expect?**\n\nSo what about me? Reflections aren't meant for focusing on \"them\"... So, Jesus\nsays that I'm \"not of this world\" and that the world will hate me. I've\ncertainly faced anger and hatred over my faith, but what else would I expect?!\nHowever, I don't think that Jesus means here that we should strive to be hated by\nthe world, or that being hated is confirmation that we're doing things right.\nNo, it's not about behavior - it's about reality. The reality that the\nbeliever has, that I have, been chosen.\n\nTo that reality I echo Spurgeon's words\n\n\u003e If Jesus undertook to bring me to glory, and if the Father promised that he would give me to the Son to be a part of the infinite reward of the travail of his soul; then, my soul, till God himself shall be unfaithful, till Jesus shall cease to be the truth, thou art safe.\n\nMy soul, thou art safe.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Spurgeon\"", "date_published": "2025-10-28T06:36:22Z", "date_modified": "2025-10-28T06:36:22Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "grace", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/helkyo-what-is-it-for-god-to-draw-man-to-him/", "url": "https://pype.dev/helkyo-what-is-it-for-god-to-draw-man-to-him/", "title": "Helkyo - What is it for God to draw man to him?", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003eIn John 6 there is a curious phrase about how the Father initiates the process\nof Salvation in the hearts of men.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJohn 6:44\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe word \u003ccode\u003edraws\u003c/code\u003e is the Greek \u003ccode\u003eἑλκύσῃ\u003c/code\u003e ([\u003ca href=\"/helkyo/\" class=\"glossary-term\" title=\"To drag forcefully\" data-hover-title=\"Helkyo\"\u003ehelkyo\u003c/a\u003e]). This word doesn\u0026rsquo;t mean \u0026ldquo;draw\u0026rdquo;\nlike how we would immediately understand it - in the sense of wooing, or\nconvincing\u0026hellip; I\u0026rsquo;m not really sure why \u003ccode\u003edraws\u003c/code\u003e is the common English\ntranslation, I have a theory about theological presuppositions in the modern\nChristian movement but it\u0026rsquo;s not super relevant to my thought on it. It\u0026rsquo;s not\nrelevant, because this word in its most native sense nearly perfectly describes\nmy experience with Jesus. Before diving in - here\u0026rsquo;s a couple more Biblical\nexamples of the word\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJohn 21:6\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw [helkyo] it for the multitude of fishes.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJames 2:6\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw [helkyo] you before the judgment seats?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo the oppressed are \u003ccode\u003ehelkyo\u003c/code\u003e to judgement\u0026hellip; The fish are \u003ccode\u003ehelkyo\u003c/code\u003e\u0026rsquo;d into the\nboat.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe simple definition is not \u0026ldquo;to lure\u0026rdquo; but \u0026ldquo;to haul\u0026rdquo; as in \u0026ldquo;to haul a net full\nof fish up into the boat\u0026rdquo;. This is not an image of a gentle calling. And no\ndoubt, Jesus is sweet with all of us at various times, the Word of the Lord is\nthe source of rest and peace. But being drawn to God is not necessarily a\nromantic experience. For me, I was raised in the Church, went to youth group,\nand in hindsight did genuinely believe. The Lord knows his people from before\ntime began, but it doesn\u0026rsquo;t mean that his people don\u0026rsquo;t live human lives in pre\nand post salvific forms. What I mean is - we\u0026rsquo;re all born sinners, and Jesus\nchanges the hearts of those whom the Father gives him. This is right out of John 6.\nBut what\u0026rsquo;s there for me is the reality that sometimes Jesus stretches out his\nhand and says \u0026ldquo;come, follow me\u0026rdquo;. And other times he casts the net and drags you\ninto the boat. For me, it was that.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen I went to college I was angry at God over idols in my life. I felt\nabandoned by many, didn\u0026rsquo;t like my home life, was generally aimless, and easily\npersuaded into things I wanted to be true out of the rebellion I wanted to\nenact against the Lord. And this post isn\u0026rsquo;t going to be me reliving any of\nthose choices. At the end of the day, I was raised in the boat and wanted to\njump and swim on my own.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI made every attempt I could to run from Jesus but ultimately that story ends\nwith him simply [helkyo]\u0026lsquo;ing my ass back into the boat.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"free-will\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eFree Will\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#free-will\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOk so what about my side of it? I did try to swim away\u0026hellip; what about the idea\nthat humans have \u0026ldquo;free will\u0026rdquo;?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWell, I\u0026rsquo;m not really here to argue about that much either, but it\u0026rsquo;s worth\naddressing that in my post-salvific life my desire is that my will becomes\nwhatever God\u0026rsquo;s will is\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo be honest with you, the most freeing thing to me is knowing God cares about\nme. Whatever his will is, that\u0026rsquo;s the will I want to align myself with.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt became clearer to me after becomming a dad. My kids aren\u0026rsquo;t big enough to\nfully exercise their own free will and volition without getting hurt, and\nthat\u0026rsquo;s pretty much where I/we are with God\u0026hellip; Sure I feel like an adult, but I\ndo stupid things all the time, and I make choices I know are not the best. I\ncan only really imagine that God looks as me like how I look at my daughters\nwhenever they\u0026rsquo;re disobeying to their own demise\u0026hellip; My desire for them is that\nthey want what I want for them, and it\u0026rsquo;s because I actually do know better than\nthey do, right? In the same way God knows better than me, and I want to be able to\nacknowledge that in the manner I want my daughters to acknowledge my desire for\ntheir greater good.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo, what is \u0026ldquo;free will\u0026rdquo;?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eHebrews 13:20-21\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus—the great Shepherd of the sheep —through the blood of the everlasting covenant, equip you with everything good to do his will, working in us what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m free to follow Jesus.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\nIn John 6 there is a curious phrase about how the Father initiates the process\nof Salvation in the hearts of men.\n\n!!! note \"John 6:44\"\n\n No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.\n\nThe word `draws` is the Greek `ἑλκύσῃ` ([helkyo]). This word doesn't mean \"draw\"\nlike how we would immediately understand it - in the sense of wooing, or\nconvincing... I'm not really sure why `draws` is the common English\ntranslation, I have a theory about theological presuppositions in the modern\nChristian movement but it's not super relevant to my thought on it. It's not\nrelevant, because this word in its most native sense nearly perfectly describes\nmy experience with Jesus. Before diving in - here's a couple more Biblical\nexamples of the word...\n\n!!! note \"John 21:6\"\n\n And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw [helkyo] it for the multitude of fishes.\n\n!!! note \"James 2:6\"\n\n But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw [helkyo] you before the judgment seats?\n\nSo the oppressed are `helkyo` to judgement... The fish are `helkyo`'d into the\nboat.\n\nThe simple definition is not \"to lure\" but \"to haul\" as in \"to haul a net full\nof fish up into the boat\". This is not an image of a gentle calling. And no\ndoubt, Jesus is sweet with all of us at various times, the Word of the Lord is\nthe source of rest and peace. But being drawn to God is not necessarily a\nromantic experience. For me, I was raised in the Church, went to youth group,\nand in hindsight did genuinely believe. The Lord knows his people from before\ntime began, but it doesn't mean that his people don't live human lives in pre\nand post salvific forms. What I mean is - we're all born sinners, and Jesus\nchanges the hearts of those whom the Father gives him. This is right out of John 6.\nBut what's there for me is the reality that sometimes Jesus stretches out his\nhand and says \"come, follow me\". And other times he casts the net and drags you\ninto the boat. For me, it was that.\n\nWhen I went to college I was angry at God over idols in my life. I felt\nabandoned by many, didn't like my home life, was generally aimless, and easily\npersuaded into things I wanted to be true out of the rebellion I wanted to\nenact against the Lord. And this post isn't going to be me reliving any of\nthose choices. At the end of the day, I was raised in the boat and wanted to\njump and swim on my own.\n\nI made every attempt I could to run from Jesus but ultimately that story ends\nwith him simply [helkyo]'ing my ass back into the boat.\n\n## Free Will\n\nOk so what about my side of it? I did try to swim away... what about the idea\nthat humans have \"free will\"?\n\nWell, I'm not really here to argue about that much either, but it's worth\naddressing that in my post-salvific life my desire is that my will becomes\nwhatever God's will is...\n\nTo be honest with you, the most freeing thing to me is knowing God cares about\nme. Whatever his will is, that's the will I want to align myself with.\n\nIt became clearer to me after becomming a dad. My kids aren't big enough to\nfully exercise their own free will and volition without getting hurt, and\nthat's pretty much where I/we are with God... Sure I feel like an adult, but I\ndo stupid things all the time, and I make choices I know are not the best. I\ncan only really imagine that God looks as me like how I look at my daughters\nwhenever they're disobeying to their own demise... My desire for them is that\nthey want what I want for them, and it's because I actually do know better than\nthey do, right? In the same way God knows better than me, and I want to be able to\nacknowledge that in the manner I want my daughters to acknowledge my desire for\ntheir greater good.\n\nSo, what is \"free will\"?\n\n!!! note \"Hebrews 13:20-21\"\n\n Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus—the great Shepherd of the sheep —through the blood of the everlasting covenant, equip you with everything good to do his will, working in us what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.\n\nI'm free to follow Jesus.\n", "summary": "In John 6 there is a curious phrase about how the Father initiates the process of Salvation in the hearts of men.", "date_published": "2025-10-27T06:37:17Z", "date_modified": "2025-10-27T06:37:17Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "salvation", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-mark-4-1-20/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-mark-4-1-20/", "title": "Reflection - Mark 4:1-20", "content_html": "\u003ch2 id=\"the-soils\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eThe Soils\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#the-soils\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI am in the middle of reprocessing the soils\u0026rsquo; parable - I heard a very\ninteresting interpretation the other day that I\u0026rsquo;m following up on. BUt while I\nwait for clarity in that conversation, there is still obvious truth for me to\nreflect on this morning\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"admonition note\" open\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eMark 4:1-20\u003c/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMark 4:1–20 (LEB): 4And again he began to teach beside the sea, and a very large crowd was gathered to him, so that he got into a boat and sat on the sea, and the whole crowd was at the sea on the land. 2 And he began to teach them many things in parables, and was saying to them in his teaching, 3 “Listen! Behold, the sower went out to sow. 4 And it happened that while he was sowing, some seed fell on the side of the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 And other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up at once, because it did not have any depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose it was scorched, and because it did not have enough root, it withered. 7 And other seed fell among the thorn plants, and the thorn plants came up and choked it, and it did not produce grain. 8 And other seed fell on the good soil, and produced grain, coming up and increasing, and it bore a crop—one thirty and one sixty and one a hundred times as much. 9 And he said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!” 10 And when he was alone, those around him together with the twelve began asking him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been granted the secret of the kingdom of God, but to those who are outside everything is in parables, 12 so that ‘they may look closely and not perceive, and they may listen carefully and not understand, lest they turn and it be forgiven them.’ ” 13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones beside the path where the word is sown, and whenever they hear it, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 And these are like the ones sown on the rocky ground, who whenever they hear the word immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but are temporary. Then when affliction or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among the thorn plants—these are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word and it becomes unproductive. 20 And those are the ones sown on the good soil, who hear the word and receive it and bear fruit—one thirty and one sixty and one a hundred times as much.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/details\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eMark 4:18-19\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e18 And others are the ones sown among the thorn plants—these are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word and it becomes unproductive.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"the-thorny-soil\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eThe Thorny Soil\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#the-thorny-soil\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy God\u0026rsquo;s good grace on my life, the Word has been sown and without a doubt my\nfaith has been proven beyond the depths of the path and shallow soils. My life\nhas not been without testing (not that I would ever claim to have not been\ngiven a better life than 99% of humans in the history of the world), but I fear\nthe test of my heart as it pertains to the thorny soil. God has been very good\nto me in work and finances. We aren\u0026rsquo;t ultra-wealthy, but I do have more than I\nneed. And something I notice\u0026hellip; as I\u0026rsquo;ve earned more, and invested more, I care\nmore\u0026hellip; My thoughts often wander around from \u0026ldquo;I should read that Proverb\u0026rdquo; to\n\u0026ldquo;If I can save X more dollars I could retire N weeks sooner\u0026rdquo;. I think what I\ndesire is freedom from the corporate cycle in America, but I fear what I desire\nis the comfort to give into my own whims without having to show up to a job\ntomorrow.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI do not think financial independence is a sin, or the desire of it. But I\nthink it does take a special constitution, a unique gifting from God, to\nsteward riches appropriately in a broken world while submitting oneself to the\nkingship of Jesus. I have known several wealthy Christians - they\u0026rsquo;re hard\nworkers and in general I think they\u0026rsquo;re honoring God with their work\u0026hellip; but do\nI? And in the working, whether honoring or not in the manner that I \u003cem\u003edo\u003c/em\u003e it, am I\nhonoring God in the manner in which I \u003cem\u003ethink\u003c/em\u003e about it? I don\u0026rsquo;t know\u0026hellip; I\nhonestly can only say with 100% certainty that I\u0026rsquo;m thankful God knows my heart\nbetter than I do, and I pray he helps my unbelief and quenches the underlying\nfears and anxieties about the riches of this life and what those riches enable.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n## The Soils\n\nI am in the middle of reprocessing the soils' parable - I heard a very\ninteresting interpretation the other day that I'm following up on. BUt while I\nwait for clarity in that conversation, there is still obvious truth for me to\nreflect on this morning...\n\n???+ note \"Mark 4:1-20\"\n\n Mark 4:1–20 (LEB): 4And again he began to teach beside the sea, and a very large crowd was gathered to him, so that he got into a boat and sat on the sea, and the whole crowd was at the sea on the land. 2 And he began to teach them many things in parables, and was saying to them in his teaching, 3 “Listen! Behold, the sower went out to sow. 4 And it happened that while he was sowing, some seed fell on the side of the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 And other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up at once, because it did not have any depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose it was scorched, and because it did not have enough root, it withered. 7 And other seed fell among the thorn plants, and the thorn plants came up and choked it, and it did not produce grain. 8 And other seed fell on the good soil, and produced grain, coming up and increasing, and it bore a crop—one thirty and one sixty and one a hundred times as much. 9 And he said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!” 10 And when he was alone, those around him together with the twelve began asking him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been granted the secret of the kingdom of God, but to those who are outside everything is in parables, 12 so that ‘they may look closely and not perceive, and they may listen carefully and not understand, lest they turn and it be forgiven them.’ ” 13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones beside the path where the word is sown, and whenever they hear it, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 And these are like the ones sown on the rocky ground, who whenever they hear the word immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but are temporary. Then when affliction or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among the thorn plants—these are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word and it becomes unproductive. 20 And those are the ones sown on the good soil, who hear the word and receive it and bear fruit—one thirty and one sixty and one a hundred times as much.”\n\n!!! note \"Mark 4:18-19\"\n\n 18 And others are the ones sown among the thorn plants—these are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word and it becomes unproductive.\n\n## The Thorny Soil\n\nBy God's good grace on my life, the Word has been sown and without a doubt my\nfaith has been proven beyond the depths of the path and shallow soils. My life\nhas not been without testing (not that I would ever claim to have not been\ngiven a better life than 99% of humans in the history of the world), but I fear\nthe test of my heart as it pertains to the thorny soil. God has been very good\nto me in work and finances. We aren't ultra-wealthy, but I do have more than I\nneed. And something I notice... as I've earned more, and invested more, I care\nmore... My thoughts often wander around from \"I should read that Proverb\" to\n\"If I can save X more dollars I could retire N weeks sooner\". I think what I\ndesire is freedom from the corporate cycle in America, but I fear what I desire\nis the comfort to give into my own whims without having to show up to a job\ntomorrow.\n\nI do not think financial independence is a sin, or the desire of it. But I\nthink it does take a special constitution, a unique gifting from God, to\nsteward riches appropriately in a broken world while submitting oneself to the\nkingship of Jesus. I have known several wealthy Christians - they're hard\nworkers and in general I think they're honoring God with their work... but do\nI? And in the working, whether honoring or not in the manner that I _do_ it, am I\nhonoring God in the manner in which I _think_ about it? I don't know... I\nhonestly can only say with 100% certainty that I'm thankful God knows my heart\nbetter than I do, and I pray he helps my unbelief and quenches the underlying\nfears and anxieties about the riches of this life and what those riches enable.\n", "summary": "I am in the middle of reprocessing the soils' parable - I heard a very interesting interpretation the other day that I'm following up on. BUt while I wait...", "date_published": "2025-10-21T06:09:43Z", "date_modified": "2025-10-21T06:09:43Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "reflection", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-john-21-12/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-john-21-12/", "title": "Reflection - John 21:12", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJohn 21:12\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus said to them, “Come, eat breakfast!” But none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew that it was the Lord.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"come-and-eat\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eCome and eat\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#come-and-eat\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus offers this communion with himself every day, and to very believer\u0026hellip;\nSharing a meal with someone is a pretty intimate thing (it\u0026rsquo;s why hibachi with\nstrangers is awkward). Sitting around a table, especially where you\u0026rsquo;d be eating\nwith your hands, is a setting for family, or the family you choose (friends).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus is the King of the universe, and he offers a seat at the table. I want\nthis to sit in my head without some unknown ethereal deep metaphorical\nmeaning\u0026hellip; The simple truth is Jesus offers not only a place to sit next to\nhim, to enjoy his company and wisdom, but the contents of the table. At the\nLast Supper he says he is the bread and cup, and after his resurrection he\ninvites his disciples to sit with him on the beach and eat breakfast here in\nJohn 21. Every invitation to eat with him is to share the same meat, the wine,\nthe conversation with the Saints, and ultimately the prize of time with the\nLord.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus is the \u003ca href=\"/reflection-philippians-3-8/#gain\"\u003eprize\u003c/a\u003e, not what he can do.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI am hesitant to answer this call often\u0026hellip; and it\u0026rsquo;s because I\u0026rsquo;m often more\nsatisfied by drive-thru wings eaten alone in my office than I am around the\ntable with Jesus and his other disciples. But he still offers an invitation\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;Come, eat\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"choose-this-day-whom-you-will-serve\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChoose this day whom you will serve\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#choose-this-day-whom-you-will-serve\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis invitation strikes me as the choice following in Joshua 24:15:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eNote\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut if it is bad in your eyes to serve Yahweh, choose for yourselves today whom you want to serve, whether it is the gods that your ancestors served beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve Yahweh.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus\u0026rsquo; offer to come and dine is him presenting a choice\u0026hellip; \u0026ldquo;choose for\nyourselves today whom you want to serve\u0026hellip;. but as for me and my household, we\nwill serve Yahweh.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe choice is daily, and every reflection of mine comes back to this. Jesus\noffers himself, his table, his righteousness, everything we need for godliness\nand flourishing as creatures made in his image. And yet every day, face to face\nwith the reality of the world the choice is still yours and mine to make -\ntoday, whom will you serve? Every day I have to say \u0026ldquo;as for me and my house, we\nwill serve the Lord\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMay that be true today, and tomorrow but tomorrow has enough trouble of its\nown, so today thank you Jesus for offering the table, to eat and drink\ntogether. And by the grace of his calling, today I will say \u0026ldquo;we will serve the\nLord.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"John 21:12\"\n\n Jesus said to them, “Come, eat breakfast!” But none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew that it was the Lord.\n\n## Come and eat\n\nJesus offers this communion with himself every day, and to very believer...\nSharing a meal with someone is a pretty intimate thing (it's why hibachi with\nstrangers is awkward). Sitting around a table, especially where you'd be eating\nwith your hands, is a setting for family, or the family you choose (friends).\n\nJesus is the King of the universe, and he offers a seat at the table. I want\nthis to sit in my head without some unknown ethereal deep metaphorical\nmeaning... The simple truth is Jesus offers not only a place to sit next to\nhim, to enjoy his company and wisdom, but the contents of the table. At the\nLast Supper he says he is the bread and cup, and after his resurrection he\ninvites his disciples to sit with him on the beach and eat breakfast here in\nJohn 21. Every invitation to eat with him is to share the same meat, the wine,\nthe conversation with the Saints, and ultimately the prize of time with the\nLord.\n\nJesus is the [prize](/reflection-philippians-3-8/#gain), not what he can do.\n\nI am hesitant to answer this call often... and it's because I'm often more\nsatisfied by drive-thru wings eaten alone in my office than I am around the\ntable with Jesus and his other disciples. But he still offers an invitation\n\n\u003e \"Come, eat\"\n\n## Choose this day whom you will serve\n\nHis invitation strikes me as the choice following in Joshua 24:15:\n\n!!! note \"\"\n\n But if it is bad in your eyes to serve Yahweh, choose for yourselves today whom you want to serve, whether it is the gods that your ancestors served beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve Yahweh.”\n\nJesus' offer to come and dine is him presenting a choice... \"choose for\nyourselves today whom you want to serve.... but as for me and my household, we\nwill serve Yahweh.\"\n\nThe choice is daily, and every reflection of mine comes back to this. Jesus\noffers himself, his table, his righteousness, everything we need for godliness\nand flourishing as creatures made in his image. And yet every day, face to face\nwith the reality of the world the choice is still yours and mine to make -\ntoday, whom will you serve? Every day I have to say \"as for me and my house, we\nwill serve the Lord\"\n\nMay that be true today, and tomorrow but tomorrow has enough trouble of its\nown, so today thank you Jesus for offering the table, to eat and drink\ntogether. And by the grace of his calling, today I will say \"we will serve the\nLord.\"\n", "summary": "!!! note \"John 21:12\"", "date_published": "2025-10-17T05:22:12Z", "date_modified": "2025-10-17T05:22:12Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "reflection", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-philippians-3-8/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-philippians-3-8/", "title": "Reflection - Philippians 3:8", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePhilippians 3:8\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore than that, I even consider all things to be loss because of the surpassing greatness of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for the sake of whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and consider them dung, in order that I may gain Christ\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"loss\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eLoss\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#loss\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaul\u0026rsquo;s words are convicting this morning\u0026hellip; \u003cstrong\u003eI even consider all things to be loss\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition danger\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eDanger\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDo I?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDo I consider anything and everything as closer to \u003cstrong\u003eliterally nothing\u003c/strong\u003e when\ncompared to knowing Jesus? I don\u0026rsquo;t know, this morning I can\u0026rsquo;t even articulate\nwhat it means to consider allthings \u0026ldquo;loss\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.statically.io/gh/pypeaday/images.pype.dev/main/blog-media/20251014103915_3412470b.png\" alt=\"20251014103915_3412470b.png\"\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat a trivial picture but how often is my mind and spirit stuck between the\ngreen boxes\u0026hellip; fixated again on my retirement, kid\u0026rsquo;s school costs, the fact\nthat ribeye steak is still $20/lbs. I have anxities like anyone else over\nthings in the world, and if my net worth increased by $3M today what would my\nresponse be\u0026hellip; would I consider it a loss when compared to the knowledge of\nJesus Christ? Or would I experience joy and hope for my earthly future\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOf course Paul\u0026rsquo;s note here isn\u0026rsquo;t that we have to just be angry about good\nthings and be sad forever until we\u0026rsquo;re on the other side of a consecrated\nheaven, but I think the point is if my net worth goes up by a lot of down by a\nlot, at the end of the day that\u0026rsquo;s still between the 2 green boxes in my\ndiagram\u0026hellip; And my mind needs to focus on Jesus. Not for what he can do for me,\npursuing him in light of my own fancies makes him out to be a Santa Claus, and\nin light of Paul\u0026rsquo;s words to the Philippian church would miss the point\nentirely. There is nothing for us to pursue for gain - that is the point.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe ultimate gift is the knowledge of Christ. This knowledge changs us - by the\nmolding hand of Yahweh through the mediating power and authority of Jesus by\nthe Spirit indwelling our lives - the knowledge of Christ conforms us into his\nimage and likeness. But Jesus is the prize, he is the gain. Knowledge of him\nisn\u0026rsquo;t just knowing his name, it\u0026rsquo;s being known by him through communion and\nmeditation. Through daily repentence.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"gain\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eGain\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#gain\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI just found myself downcast over this reflection, knowledge of Christ is\nhard\u0026hellip; he chooses whome he chooses, frees whom he frees. In that freedom is\nwhere the comparison can be made. Only in the freedom of Jesus can you remove\nyourself from the line between the 2 green boxes in my picture, and even\nconsider the glory of the knowledge of Christ. Before new life all we know is\nthis:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.statically.io/gh/pypeaday/images.pype.dev/main/blog-media/20251014105124_bee8ebbd.png\" alt=\"20251014105124_bee8ebbd.png\"\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe chooses\u0026hellip; but then what? For some, loss must follow. In fact, for \u003cstrong\u003eall\u003c/strong\u003e loss\nwill eventually follow. The degree of that loss is not outside his sovereignty.\nPaul says he \u0026ldquo;suffered the loss of all things\u0026rdquo; - in this experience his\nmind is opened to the reality that was hidden from him, the knowledge that\nthere\u0026rsquo;s more but the only thing worth gaining is Jesus.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI hope I don\u0026rsquo;t have to suffer the loss of all things in order to more fully\ngrasp the gravity of my King. But his will be done on earth as it is in heaven,\nwhatever that may mean for my life. And may it be that I gain Christ.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Philippians 3:8\"\n\n More than that, I even consider all things to be loss because of the surpassing greatness of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for the sake of whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and consider them dung, in order that I may gain Christ\n\n## Loss\n\nPaul's words are convicting this morning... **I even consider all things to be loss**.\n\n!!! danger \"\"\n\n Do I?\n\nDo I consider anything and everything as closer to **literally nothing** when\ncompared to knowing Jesus? I don't know, this morning I can't even articulate\nwhat it means to consider allthings \"loss\".\n\n![20251014103915_3412470b.png](https://cdn.statically.io/gh/pypeaday/images.pype.dev/main/blog-media/20251014103915_3412470b.png)\n\nWhat a trivial picture but how often is my mind and spirit stuck between the\ngreen boxes... fixated again on my retirement, kid's school costs, the fact\nthat ribeye steak is still $20/lbs. I have anxities like anyone else over\nthings in the world, and if my net worth increased by $3M today what would my\nresponse be... would I consider it a loss when compared to the knowledge of\nJesus Christ? Or would I experience joy and hope for my earthly future...\n\nOf course Paul's note here isn't that we have to just be angry about good\nthings and be sad forever until we're on the other side of a consecrated\nheaven, but I think the point is if my net worth goes up by a lot of down by a\nlot, at the end of the day that's still between the 2 green boxes in my\ndiagram... And my mind needs to focus on Jesus. Not for what he can do for me,\npursuing him in light of my own fancies makes him out to be a Santa Claus, and\nin light of Paul's words to the Philippian church would miss the point\nentirely. There is nothing for us to pursue for gain - that is the point.\n\nThe ultimate gift is the knowledge of Christ. This knowledge changs us - by the\nmolding hand of Yahweh through the mediating power and authority of Jesus by\nthe Spirit indwelling our lives - the knowledge of Christ conforms us into his\nimage and likeness. But Jesus is the prize, he is the gain. Knowledge of him\nisn't just knowing his name, it's being known by him through communion and\nmeditation. Through daily repentence.\n\n## Gain\n\nI just found myself downcast over this reflection, knowledge of Christ is\nhard... he chooses whome he chooses, frees whom he frees. In that freedom is\nwhere the comparison can be made. Only in the freedom of Jesus can you remove\nyourself from the line between the 2 green boxes in my picture, and even\nconsider the glory of the knowledge of Christ. Before new life all we know is\nthis:\n\n![20251014105124_bee8ebbd.png](https://cdn.statically.io/gh/pypeaday/images.pype.dev/main/blog-media/20251014105124_bee8ebbd.png)\n\nHe chooses... but then what? For some, loss must follow. In fact, for **all** loss\nwill eventually follow. The degree of that loss is not outside his sovereignty.\nPaul says he \"suffered the loss of all things\" - in this experience his\nmind is opened to the reality that was hidden from him, the knowledge that\nthere's more but the only thing worth gaining is Jesus.\n\nI hope I don't have to suffer the loss of all things in order to more fully\ngrasp the gravity of my King. But his will be done on earth as it is in heaven,\nwhatever that may mean for my life. And may it be that I gain Christ.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Philippians 3:8\"", "date_published": "2025-10-14T05:30:47Z", "date_modified": "2025-10-14T05:30:47Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "reflection", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-psalm-119-15/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-psalm-119-15/", "title": "Reflection - Psalm 119:15", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePsalm 119:15\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI will meditate on your precepts and look at your ways.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"meditate\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMeditate\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#meditate\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpurgeon had a good thought here\u0026hellip; It is not the act of eating that actually\nnourishes our bodies, it is digestion\u0026hellip; The same is true for our spiritual\ngrowth - merely listening to a sermon will not transform your heart and life,\nthe Word of God must be digested and meditated upon to work in our members and\nchange us.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat is it to go to church every week but never spend time musing upon the\nthings of God? If you chew your food and spit it out right after the meal what\ngood did it do you? Maybe you felt good during the songs, liked the taste of\nthe food, heard something interesting from the pastor, commented on the decor\nin the dining room\u0026hellip;. but once you leave, do you remember what you ate? Do you\ntalk about it with those who ate with you? Did you practice cooking that\ndelicious meal later in the week?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo it is with us and the precepts of the Lord.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe law of God, in light of Jesus, is not a burden any longer. We are free to\nfollow, free to choose good. But knowing good takes time\u0026hellip; a captive isn\u0026rsquo;t\nilluminated to all the ways of the free man who saved him the day his bonds are\ncut, he must study the new civilization he\u0026rsquo;s brought into - out of slavery and\ninto freedom, out of death and into life.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd in that new life, Jesus - the embodiment of the law and the perfector of\nour faith changes us, molds us, teaches us about good and bad. His word is\nsweet and good.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePhilippians 4:8\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFinally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are right, whatever things are pure, whatever things are pleasing, whatever things are commendable, if there is any excellence of character and if anything praiseworthy, think about these things.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"think-about-these-things\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eThink about these things\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#think-about-these-things\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe instruction from Paul is almost too simple\u0026hellip; \u0026ldquo;just think about these\nthings\u0026rdquo;. By God\u0026rsquo;s grace I think a lot\u0026hellip; \u003cstrong\u003ea lot\u003c/strong\u003e. My thoughts are often hard\nto take hold of, and I\u0026rsquo;m led rather than leading in what I put my attention\nto, but also by God\u0026rsquo;s grace I fixate on the things of God often. This has not\nalways been, and is not always fun or exciting or without pain.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut we are all gifted by God in different ways, and afflicted in different ways.\nAn affliction he\u0026rsquo;s permitted in my life is often a blessing to me as my mind\nsometimes can\u0026rsquo;t let go of things that are pure and pleasing and commendable.\nThe overall thing that\u0026rsquo;s on my mind every day is the freedom Jesus offers to\nchoose good. The choice can only be made by the power of his resurrection, not\nby any moral teaching to be gleaned from his sermons as though he\u0026rsquo;s nothing\nmore than a philosopher.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition success\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eSuccess\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe raised me to life, I didn\u0026rsquo;t attend a lecture.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut what could be sweeter today in our finite lives, than the ability and\nfreedom to participate in bringing heaven to earth?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe have no means to do this though without meditating on the Lord\u0026rsquo;s precepts\u0026hellip;\nHow else can we know what is pleasing to heaven?\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Psalm 119:15\"\n\n I will meditate on your precepts and look at your ways.\n\n## Meditate\n\nSpurgeon had a good thought here... It is not the act of eating that actually\nnourishes our bodies, it is digestion... The same is true for our spiritual\ngrowth - merely listening to a sermon will not transform your heart and life,\nthe Word of God must be digested and meditated upon to work in our members and\nchange us.\n\nWhat is it to go to church every week but never spend time musing upon the\nthings of God? If you chew your food and spit it out right after the meal what\ngood did it do you? Maybe you felt good during the songs, liked the taste of\nthe food, heard something interesting from the pastor, commented on the decor\nin the dining room.... but once you leave, do you remember what you ate? Do you\ntalk about it with those who ate with you? Did you practice cooking that\ndelicious meal later in the week?\n\nSo it is with us and the precepts of the Lord.\n\nThe law of God, in light of Jesus, is not a burden any longer. We are free to\nfollow, free to choose good. But knowing good takes time... a captive isn't\nilluminated to all the ways of the free man who saved him the day his bonds are\ncut, he must study the new civilization he's brought into - out of slavery and\ninto freedom, out of death and into life.\n\nAnd in that new life, Jesus - the embodiment of the law and the perfector of\nour faith changes us, molds us, teaches us about good and bad. His word is\nsweet and good.\n\n!!! note \"Philippians 4:8\"\n\n Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are right, whatever things are pure, whatever things are pleasing, whatever things are commendable, if there is any excellence of character and if anything praiseworthy, think about these things.\n\n## Think about these things\n\nThe instruction from Paul is almost too simple... \"just think about these\nthings\". By God's grace I think a lot... **a lot**. My thoughts are often hard\nto take hold of, and I'm led rather than leading in what I put my attention\nto, but also by God's grace I fixate on the things of God often. This has not\nalways been, and is not always fun or exciting or without pain.\n\nBut we are all gifted by God in different ways, and afflicted in different ways.\nAn affliction he's permitted in my life is often a blessing to me as my mind\nsometimes can't let go of things that are pure and pleasing and commendable.\nThe overall thing that's on my mind every day is the freedom Jesus offers to\nchoose good. The choice can only be made by the power of his resurrection, not\nby any moral teaching to be gleaned from his sermons as though he's nothing\nmore than a philosopher.\n\n!!! success \"\"\n\n He raised me to life, I didn't attend a lecture.\n\nBut what could be sweeter today in our finite lives, than the ability and\nfreedom to participate in bringing heaven to earth?\n\nWe have no means to do this though without meditating on the Lord's precepts...\nHow else can we know what is pleasing to heaven?\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Psalm 119:15\"", "date_published": "2025-10-12T05:59:30Z", "date_modified": "2025-10-12T05:59:30Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "reflection", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-jude-24/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-jude-24/", "title": "Reflection - Jude 24", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJude 24-25\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e24 Now to the one who is able to protect you from stumbling and make you to stand before his glory blameless with exultation, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time and now and for all eternity. Amen.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"make-you-to-stand-before-his-glory-blameless-with-exultation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003emake you to stand before his glory blameless with exultation\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#make-you-to-stand-before-his-glory-blameless-with-exultation\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe ultimate hope of the one called to Jesus - to be made blameless.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThose who are blameless are those who are free. When we are in debt we are\nlimited - this feels like a pretty natural thing. I owe money on my house, so\nthere\u0026rsquo;s about $1000/mo that I have to put towards that, no options. Worse than\na necessity (cause a place to live is a foundational need for humans) is\nunnecessary debt - debt for free choices.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition danger\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003epay as you go\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHave you seen these pay-as-you-go services? Affirm and Klarna, etc\u0026hellip;. You can finance (go into debt) your door dash orders, uber rides, amazon cart all usually with just a few clicks! They want you poor. Jesus doesn\u0026rsquo;t exactly want you rich with earthly wealth, but we make ourselves spiritually poor in the same manner and it\u0026rsquo;s that poverty that he saves us from.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo on one hand I\u0026rsquo;m \u0026ldquo;born a sinner\u0026rdquo; (take this as my mortgage) and on the other\nhand I make choices that dishonor my Lord - my heart gets worrisome or filled\nwith lust, I abandon my faith for anxiety over my future\u0026hellip; In this reflection\nI\u0026rsquo;m not debating \u003ca href=\"/original-sin/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Original Sin\" data-description=\"The doctrine (**) basically answers this question:\" data-date=\"2025-10-10\" data-preview=\"The doctrine (**) basically answers this question:\"\u003eOriginal Sin\u003c/a\u003e, for me today it\u0026rsquo;s moot\u0026hellip; I do sin, I will\nsin, and Jesus has saved me yesterday, today, and tomorrow. So the hope is a\nblessed gift from Jesus - that I will be \u003cstrong\u003emade to stand before him blameless\nwith exultation\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo stand before the face of God is perhaps the most terrifying thing\nimaginable, or it should be for anyone in a wretched state. Ultimate goodness\nhas a way of making anyone \u003cstrong\u003eless\u003c/strong\u003e very uncomfortable. We even have a taste of\nthis truth on earth - consider this example. If you were at the gym or\nsomewhere having a conversation with someone who was a pastor and you let a\ncurse word fly, often people\u0026rsquo;s follow-up is to apologize to the pastor\u0026hellip; why?\nMy personal conviction is that cuss-words are just words, and most pastors\naren\u0026rsquo;t offended by them. But we all generally recognize pastors as \u0026ldquo;good men\u0026rdquo;\n(not all, mind you - don\u0026rsquo;t come at me with horror stories of abuse in the Church,\nI know it\u0026rsquo;s there, I hate it too, and those demons aren\u0026rsquo;t who I\u0026rsquo;m talking\nabout). So when we are face to face with \u0026ldquo;goodness\u0026rdquo; we recognize that some\nbehavior isn\u0026rsquo;t appropriate, if only for a second. So we apologize\u0026hellip; But a\npastor is just a man - to come face to face with the Lord Almighty, the very\ndefiner of Good, should horrify anyone not perfectly good themselves. A\nscary thing to have anything bad in me present before the Judge of the\nuniverse.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd yet \u003cstrong\u003eto the one who is able to protect you from stumbling and make you to\nstand before his glory blameless with exultation\u003c/strong\u003e\u0026hellip; Who is Jesus? The one who\nmakes me blameless. To be blameless is to be able to come face to face with\ngoodness. This is my hope, that in Christ alone for his glory and sake alone,\nam I made new and blameless.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"but-hope-isn-t-only-in-the-future\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eBut hope isn’t only in the future\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#but-hope-isn-t-only-in-the-future\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis ultimate hope isn\u0026rsquo;t the only hope though, it\u0026rsquo;s not the only thing Jesus\ndoes\u0026hellip; He saves us from more than just hell, and for more than just an\nethereal idea of goodness. He saves me to be free to choose goodness today as\nhe works in me to align my will with his\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eHebrews 13:20-21\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e20 Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with every good thing to do his will, carrying out in us what is pleasing before him through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever. Amen.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus left us a helper, the Holy Spirit. This person is the conduit through\nwhich Yahweh works in us to \u003cstrong\u003eequip {me} with every good thing to do his will,\ncarrying out in {me} what is pleasing before him\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHope is for tomorrow, but it\u0026rsquo;s also for today. Jesus makes us free \u003cstrong\u003etoday\u003c/strong\u003e as\nnew creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17) to align with his will. You can\u0026rsquo;t choose him\nuntil he frees you to make the choice, and then in that freedom what else can\nyou do? Say \u0026ldquo;no thanks\u0026rdquo;\u0026hellip; lol. His call is the mighty arm of Yahweh reaching\ninto the ocean of chaos and death to raise the corpse of your soul to new life,\nto breath air for the first time, to walk on God\u0026rsquo;s green earth with new feet\nand new purpose.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePraise the freaking Lord for salvation - for tomorrow and today. May my choices\ntoday reflect the goodness of my King, and if you\u0026rsquo;re reading this reflection,\nmay God bless you with this blessed hope of salvation.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Jude 24-25\"\n\n 24 Now to the one who is able to protect you from stumbling and make you to stand before his glory blameless with exultation, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time and now and for all eternity. Amen.\n\n## make you to stand before his glory blameless with exultation\n\nThe ultimate hope of the one called to Jesus - to be made blameless.\n\nThose who are blameless are those who are free. When we are in debt we are\nlimited - this feels like a pretty natural thing. I owe money on my house, so\nthere's about $1000/mo that I have to put towards that, no options. Worse than\na necessity (cause a place to live is a foundational need for humans) is\nunnecessary debt - debt for free choices.\n\n!!! danger \"pay as you go\"\n\n Have you seen these pay-as-you-go services? Affirm and Klarna, etc.... You can finance (go into debt) your door dash orders, uber rides, amazon cart all usually with just a few clicks! They want you poor. Jesus doesn't exactly want you rich with earthly wealth, but we make ourselves spiritually poor in the same manner and it's that poverty that he saves us from.\n\nSo on one hand I'm \"born a sinner\" (take this as my mortgage) and on the other\nhand I make choices that dishonor my Lord - my heart gets worrisome or filled\nwith lust, I abandon my faith for anxiety over my future... In this reflection\nI'm not debating \u003ca href=\"/original-sin/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Original Sin\" data-description=\"The doctrine (**) basically answers this question:\" data-date=\"2025-10-10\"\u003eOriginal Sin\u003c/a\u003e, for me today it's moot... I do sin, I will\nsin, and Jesus has saved me yesterday, today, and tomorrow. So the hope is a\nblessed gift from Jesus - that I will be **made to stand before him blameless\nwith exultation**.\n\nTo stand before the face of God is perhaps the most terrifying thing\nimaginable, or it should be for anyone in a wretched state. Ultimate goodness\nhas a way of making anyone **less** very uncomfortable. We even have a taste of\nthis truth on earth - consider this example. If you were at the gym or\nsomewhere having a conversation with someone who was a pastor and you let a\ncurse word fly, often people's follow-up is to apologize to the pastor... why?\nMy personal conviction is that cuss-words are just words, and most pastors\naren't offended by them. But we all generally recognize pastors as \"good men\"\n(not all, mind you - don't come at me with horror stories of abuse in the Church,\nI know it's there, I hate it too, and those demons aren't who I'm talking\nabout). So when we are face to face with \"goodness\" we recognize that some\nbehavior isn't appropriate, if only for a second. So we apologize... But a\npastor is just a man - to come face to face with the Lord Almighty, the very\ndefiner of Good, should horrify anyone not perfectly good themselves. A\nscary thing to have anything bad in me present before the Judge of the\nuniverse.\n\nAnd yet **to the one who is able to protect you from stumbling and make you to\nstand before his glory blameless with exultation**... Who is Jesus? The one who\nmakes me blameless. To be blameless is to be able to come face to face with\ngoodness. This is my hope, that in Christ alone for his glory and sake alone,\nam I made new and blameless.\n\n## But hope isn't only in the future\n\nThis ultimate hope isn't the only hope though, it's not the only thing Jesus\ndoes... He saves us from more than just hell, and for more than just an\nethereal idea of goodness. He saves me to be free to choose goodness today as\nhe works in me to align my will with his\n\n!!! note \"Hebrews 13:20-21\"\n\n 20 Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with every good thing to do his will, carrying out in us what is pleasing before him through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever. Amen.\n\nJesus left us a helper, the Holy Spirit. This person is the conduit through\nwhich Yahweh works in us to **equip {me} with every good thing to do his will,\ncarrying out in {me} what is pleasing before him**\n\nHope is for tomorrow, but it's also for today. Jesus makes us free **today** as\nnew creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17) to align with his will. You can't choose him\nuntil he frees you to make the choice, and then in that freedom what else can\nyou do? Say \"no thanks\"... lol. His call is the mighty arm of Yahweh reaching\ninto the ocean of chaos and death to raise the corpse of your soul to new life,\nto breath air for the first time, to walk on God's green earth with new feet\nand new purpose.\n\nPraise the freaking Lord for salvation - for tomorrow and today. May my choices\ntoday reflect the goodness of my King, and if you're reading this reflection,\nmay God bless you with this blessed hope of salvation.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Jude 24-25\"", "date_published": "2025-10-10T05:52:12Z", "date_modified": "2025-10-10T05:52:12Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "reflection", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-numbers-11-11/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-numbers-11-11/", "title": "Reflection - Numbers 11:11", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003eAs if the Lord orchestrated Spurgeon\u0026rsquo;s meditation to give me a spring board to what I need for the third day in a row\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/reflection-1-kings-19-8/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Reflection - 1 Kings 19:8\" data-description=\"Spurgeon picked 1 Kings 19:8 this morning and his meditation was encouraging at a meta-level. Highlighting to me that we (Christians) in maturity can be...\" data-date=\"2025-10-05\" data-preview=\"Spurgeon picked 1 Kings 19:8 this morning and his meditation was encouraging at a meta-level. Highlighting to me that we (Christians) in maturity can be...\"\u003eReflection - 1 Kings 19:8\u003c/a\u003e He showed me that he sustains me unto his own service and glory\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/reflection-john-4-14/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Reflection - John 4:14\" data-description=\"Today Spurgeon\u0026#39;s \u0026#34;Morning and Evening\u0026#34; was on John 4:14\" data-date=\"2025-10-06\" data-preview=\"Today Spurgeon\u0026#39;s \u0026#34;Morning and Evening\u0026#34; was on John 4:14\"\u003eReflection - John 4:14\u003c/a\u003e He showed me that I\u0026rsquo;ve been pushing away aspects of his provision\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd today I see the trials in my life reveal the status of my faith\u0026hellip; Last\nnight I got a phone call that I missed a credit card payment, which I thought\nodd since everything is on auto-pay. Well, turns out our checking account got a\nsmidge low, low enough that the credit card payment was cancelled\u0026hellip; In reality\nthis isn\u0026rsquo;t a huge deal, but it threw me off and continues to this morning. The\ntruth is, the only issue is my lack of in-depth understanding of our money\nmovement. Our lifestyle and living expenses are well below what we can\notherwise afford, but in my laziness I have mostly neglected each of our\naccounts individually. No doubt this \u0026ldquo;trial\u0026rdquo; is self-imposed but Spurgeon\u0026rsquo;s\nmeditation is snapping me out of the funk that threw me into last night\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition success\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003efearless faith\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf our faith be worth anything, it will stand the test. Gilt is afraid of fire, but gold is not: the paste gem dreads to be touched by the diamond, but the true jewel fears no test\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe text is \u003ca href=\"https://biblehub.com/numbers/11-11.htm\"\u003eNumbers 11:11\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eNumbers 11:11\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd Moses said to Yahweh, “Why have you brought trouble to your servant? Why have I not found favor in your eyes, that the burdens of all these people have been placed on me?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe meditation came from \u0026ldquo;Why have you brought trouble to your servant?\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"admonition warning\"\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eMeditation vs Homily\u003c/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy reflections over the summer have following the pattern of finding a scripture reference from Morning and Evening and then simply asking God to speak through the words of the text and Spurgeon\u0026rsquo;s meditation. Historically I would study the text, but in the season of life I am in, where I do have years of studious foundation, I am trying to exercise trust in God to speak to me in ways outside of connecting theological knowledge dots that construct a mosaic of my own choosing. Instead I\u0026rsquo;m trying to just trust his sovereignty - he brought me to Morning and Evening on October 7, 2025 perhaps so that I could be encouraged in my faith in light of this missed credit card payment event/trial. These reflections are not meant to be educational on the Bible, or even on theology necessarily - I am practicing opening my mind and heart to God speaking to me in ways otherwise uncomfortable but with prudence as I\u0026rsquo;m not approaching these texts in ignorance. As I put these reflections into the world I want to be clear these are personal meditations, not Bible lessons\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/details\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"reflection\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eReflection\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#reflection\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOur heavenly Father sends us frequent troubles to try our faith\u0026hellip; Are the\nsource of those trials my own choices? Other\u0026rsquo;s choices? Some meta-truth about the\nfallenness of creation? I think probably it\u0026rsquo;s all of that\u0026hellip; In reality, it doesn\u0026rsquo;t\nmatter \u003cstrong\u003ewhere\u003c/strong\u003e the trial comes from - directly from the heavens above or\noriginating in our own mistakes (such as mine of note above). There is almost\ncertainly some significance in the source but \u003cstrong\u003eultimately God\nis sovereign over every one of those possibilities\u003c/strong\u003e, and so in another sense,\nit\u0026rsquo;s almost insignificant what I consider the \u0026ldquo;source\u0026rdquo; of a trial. The real\nissue is how I respond to it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLast night I was filled in my physical chest with a feeling of dread\u0026hellip; Seeing\nmy checking account low revealed that I have more digging to do to uncover any\ninternal reliance on my own systems of security (like money). And the dumb part\ndear reader, is we have other accounts and plenty of money\u0026hellip; I am in zero\nfinancial strain, but even so - seeing the number too low to make one of the\npayments sent my head into a whirlwind. God has also already provided a way out\nof this trial\u0026hellip; I have budgeting software that I\u0026rsquo;ve been using for a long time\nand am just not on top of. He gave me the software I use and the ability to use\nit but it\u0026rsquo;s my own lack of diligence that I think led to this \u0026ldquo;trial\u0026rdquo;. And yet,\nwith all that knowledge I find that I\u0026rsquo;m still troubled\u0026hellip; I think I have a\nstrong faith and one of my most common prayer is \u0026ldquo;Lord help my unbelief\u0026rdquo;, and\napparently today I need to shout this to the heavens. How \u003cstrong\u003edare\u003c/strong\u003e I allow\ndread to overcome me when I claim to know my God provides.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd in that I know he is still sweet to me. I\u0026rsquo;m a father, and when my kids make\na mess of themselves my first response (often, though I\u0026rsquo;m not perfect) to them\nis to kneel and say \u0026ldquo;hey I\u0026rsquo;m here, you\u0026rsquo;re safe\u0026rdquo;. The trial they make for\nthemselves may fill them with the dread I filled myself with last night in\nmissing that credit card payment\u0026hellip;. If I will approach my kids joyfully in\ntheir own mess, and if I write all these pages about God\u0026rsquo;s love for me and his\npeople, then ought I not adopt the mindset towrads God that I want my\ndaughter\u0026rsquo;s to have when I come to save them?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod approaches me knowing that missing a credit card payment\nis hardly a bigger deal than my 4 year old spilling milk on the table. But my\nworld can become small just like their worlds are small and then my issues can\nfeel big. I need my heavenly father to kneel next to me and say \u0026ldquo;hey I\u0026rsquo;m here,\nyou\u0026rsquo;re safe\u0026rdquo;. I say I need it, but actually I mean to say that I have it, and\nbecause I have it is the only reason I can in-turn treat my daughter\u0026rsquo;s this way\nwhen their problems fill their little worlds.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePraise God for trials certainly, for what they reveal and for the Gospel truth\nthat by the calling of Jesus our faith can be made pure and complete.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\nAs if the Lord orchestrated Spurgeon's meditation to give me a spring board to what I need for the third day in a row...\n\n- \u003ca href=\"/reflection-1-kings-19-8/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Reflection - 1 Kings 19:8\" data-description=\"Spurgeon picked 1 Kings 19:8 this morning and his meditation was encouraging at a meta-level. Highlighting to me that we (Christians) in maturity can be...\" data-date=\"2025-10-05\"\u003eReflection - 1 Kings 19:8\u003c/a\u003e He showed me that he sustains me unto his own service and glory\n- \u003ca href=\"/reflection-john-4-14/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Reflection - John 4:14\" data-description=\"Today Spurgeon\u0026#39;s \u0026#34;Morning and Evening\u0026#34; was on John 4:14\" data-date=\"2025-10-06\"\u003eReflection - John 4:14\u003c/a\u003e He showed me that I've been pushing away aspects of his provision\n\nAnd today I see the trials in my life reveal the status of my faith... Last\nnight I got a phone call that I missed a credit card payment, which I thought\nodd since everything is on auto-pay. Well, turns out our checking account got a\nsmidge low, low enough that the credit card payment was cancelled... In reality\nthis isn't a huge deal, but it threw me off and continues to this morning. The\ntruth is, the only issue is my lack of in-depth understanding of our money\nmovement. Our lifestyle and living expenses are well below what we can\notherwise afford, but in my laziness I have mostly neglected each of our\naccounts individually. No doubt this \"trial\" is self-imposed but Spurgeon's\nmeditation is snapping me out of the funk that threw me into last night\n\n!!! success \"fearless faith\"\n\n If our faith be worth anything, it will stand the test. Gilt is afraid of fire, but gold is not: the paste gem dreads to be touched by the diamond, but the true jewel fears no test\n\nThe text is [Numbers 11:11](https://biblehub.com/numbers/11-11.htm)\n\n!!! note \"Numbers 11:11\"\n\n And Moses said to Yahweh, “Why have you brought trouble to your servant? Why have I not found favor in your eyes, that the burdens of all these people have been placed on me?\n\nThe meditation came from \"Why have you brought trouble to your servant?\"\n\n??? warning \"Meditation vs Homily\"\n\n My reflections over the summer have following the pattern of finding a scripture reference from Morning and Evening and then simply asking God to speak through the words of the text and Spurgeon's meditation. Historically I would study the text, but in the season of life I am in, where I do have years of studious foundation, I am trying to exercise trust in God to speak to me in ways outside of connecting theological knowledge dots that construct a mosaic of my own choosing. Instead I'm trying to just trust his sovereignty - he brought me to Morning and Evening on October 7, 2025 perhaps so that I could be encouraged in my faith in light of this missed credit card payment event/trial. These reflections are not meant to be educational on the Bible, or even on theology necessarily - I am practicing opening my mind and heart to God speaking to me in ways otherwise uncomfortable but with prudence as I'm not approaching these texts in ignorance. As I put these reflections into the world I want to be clear these are personal meditations, not Bible lessons\n\n## Reflection\n\nOur heavenly Father sends us frequent troubles to try our faith... Are the\nsource of those trials my own choices? Other's choices? Some meta-truth about the\nfallenness of creation? I think probably it's all of that... In reality, it doesn't\nmatter **where** the trial comes from - directly from the heavens above or\noriginating in our own mistakes (such as mine of note above). There is almost\ncertainly some significance in the source but **ultimately God\nis sovereign over every one of those possibilities**, and so in another sense,\nit's almost insignificant what I consider the \"source\" of a trial. The real\nissue is how I respond to it.\n\nLast night I was filled in my physical chest with a feeling of dread... Seeing\nmy checking account low revealed that I have more digging to do to uncover any\ninternal reliance on my own systems of security (like money). And the dumb part\ndear reader, is we have other accounts and plenty of money... I am in zero\nfinancial strain, but even so - seeing the number too low to make one of the\npayments sent my head into a whirlwind. God has also already provided a way out\nof this trial... I have budgeting software that I've been using for a long time\nand am just not on top of. He gave me the software I use and the ability to use\nit but it's my own lack of diligence that I think led to this \"trial\". And yet,\nwith all that knowledge I find that I'm still troubled... I think I have a\nstrong faith and one of my most common prayer is \"Lord help my unbelief\", and\napparently today I need to shout this to the heavens. How **dare** I allow\ndread to overcome me when I claim to know my God provides.\n\nAnd in that I know he is still sweet to me. I'm a father, and when my kids make\na mess of themselves my first response (often, though I'm not perfect) to them\nis to kneel and say \"hey I'm here, you're safe\". The trial they make for\nthemselves may fill them with the dread I filled myself with last night in\nmissing that credit card payment.... If I will approach my kids joyfully in\ntheir own mess, and if I write all these pages about God's love for me and his\npeople, then ought I not adopt the mindset towrads God that I want my\ndaughter's to have when I come to save them?\n\nGod approaches me knowing that missing a credit card payment\nis hardly a bigger deal than my 4 year old spilling milk on the table. But my\nworld can become small just like their worlds are small and then my issues can\nfeel big. I need my heavenly father to kneel next to me and say \"hey I'm here,\nyou're safe\". I say I need it, but actually I mean to say that I have it, and\nbecause I have it is the only reason I can in-turn treat my daughter's this way\nwhen their problems fill their little worlds.\n\nPraise God for trials certainly, for what they reveal and for the Gospel truth\nthat by the calling of Jesus our faith can be made pure and complete.\n", "summary": "As if the Lord orchestrated Spurgeon's meditation to give me a spring board to what I need for the third day in a row...", "date_published": "2025-10-07T05:07:19Z", "date_modified": "2025-10-07T05:07:19Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "reflection", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-john-4-14/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-john-4-14/", "title": "Reflection - John 4:14", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003eToday Spurgeon\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;Morning and Evening\u0026rdquo; was on John 4:14\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJohn 4:14\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut whoever drinks of this water which I will give to him will never be thirsty for eternity, but the water which I will give to him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeing autistic and growing up in the Church led to a few acute pain points for\nme growing up. A commonplace issue for me was when theological truths were\nexpressed in absolute terms but didn\u0026rsquo;t \u0026ldquo;feel absolutely true\u0026rdquo; for me. I made a\npractice of trying to force myself to just \u0026ldquo;be ok\u0026rdquo; in light of the truth.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition warning\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eA Memory\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMarissa was one of my best friends in high school - we spent a lot of time together in church, school, extra-curriculars, etc. She was an ever-present friend to me even when I was difficult to love. I recall multiple times, and one vivid memory for sure where I wasn\u0026rsquo;t doing well and she inquired. But my response was \u0026ldquo;I have Jesus, so I have to be OK\u0026rdquo;. I tried to filter my immediate acute pain through the lens of eternal glory. And yes, Paul muses in this fashion as well, but Paul wasn\u0026rsquo;t a 16 year old undiagnosed autistic\u0026hellip; Was everythign going to be alright in the end when I was 16? Oh ya, but was everything all right then? No\u0026hellip; Marissa was a great friend, and Jesus has been sweet to me in this struggle, but nonetheless it would\u0026rsquo;ve been awesome if someone recognized the pain I was in with the wisdom to address me back then.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday, one of those truths comes up but it is not painful - \u003cstrong\u003eit is so relieving\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"the-heart-is-as-insatiable-as-the-grave-until-jesus-enters-it\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eThe heart is as insatiable as the grave until Jesus enters it\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#the-heart-is-as-insatiable-as-the-grave-until-jesus-enters-it\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYesterday God brought me a truth that he sustains me unto his own service -\n\u003ca href=\"/reflection-1-kings-19-8/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Reflection - 1 Kings 19:8\" data-description=\"Spurgeon picked 1 Kings 19:8 this morning and his meditation was encouraging at a meta-level. Highlighting to me that we (Christians) in maturity can be...\" data-date=\"2025-10-05\" data-preview=\"Spurgeon picked 1 Kings 19:8 this morning and his meditation was encouraging at a meta-level. Highlighting to me that we (Christians) in maturity can be...\"\u003eReflection - 1 Kings 19:8\u003c/a\u003e. And today I\u0026rsquo;m reminded that on his sustenance I\nwill \u0026ldquo;never thirst\u0026rdquo;. But of course this isn\u0026rsquo;t a plain and simple truth. I\nthirst for grace more and more every day, but what I\u0026rsquo;m finding in the season of\nending Summer 2025, post/present-multiple years of political awareness, and\nnear-hatred for my financial reliance on some other guy\u0026rsquo;s company that my heart\n\u003cstrong\u003ewants\u003c/strong\u003e for much right now, but even \u003cstrong\u003ein that wanting\u003c/strong\u003e this truth rests\nsoftly on me that Jesus is and ought to be enough. I can be resistant to this\nout of fear of losing a drive to provide more and more for my family.\nContentedness is certainly a gift from God, but as I\u0026rsquo;ve been reflecting I see\nfear in my heart\u0026hellip; As I\u0026rsquo;ve rejected the truth that \u0026ldquo;Jesus is \u003cstrong\u003eenough\u003c/strong\u003e\u0026rdquo; my\nheart longs for satisfaction, and when I get in my own way then fear and sin\ncreep in.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor me and my reflection right now the competing ideas are building financial\nwealth for myself and my family out of a desire for freedom from a system that\nI don\u0026rsquo;t like, but also\u0026hellip; isn\u0026rsquo;t Jesus enough? My heart is in the same cunundrum\nas I was in at 16 when asked \u0026ldquo;are you OK?\u0026rdquo;. But with wisdom, experince, and\nperspective I guess the tension isn\u0026rsquo;t uncomfortable anymore (not that I\u0026rsquo;m\nliving in the tension perfectly). There\u0026rsquo;s work for Jesus to do on my heart, and\nyet I know the work he has done and that proves his faithfulness to me to not\nleave me unfinished.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs he works on me, I have day-to-day choices to make.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhom will I serve?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhat will fill my heart?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWill what I fill it with satisfy or like a glass of salt-water at sea leave me worse-off in the end?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus has been good to me in ushering my heart through truths like this where\nthere\u0026rsquo;s an \u0026ldquo;already but not yet\u0026rdquo; element to them. Jesus fully satisfies my\nheart, this is true. It\u0026rsquo;s also true that I\u0026rsquo;m still a sinner. I don\u0026rsquo;t feel like\nI always only thirst for more of my Lord - today I thirst for a larger\nretirement account and assets to financially support me for the next 20\nyears\u0026hellip; is this wrong? I don\u0026rsquo;t think so, not with appropriate perspective. And\nI\u0026rsquo;ve been feeling more and more in the last few weeks that Jesus is restoring\nme unto a new season of service and work. I don\u0026rsquo;t know what it\u0026rsquo;ll look like and\naccepting a murky future feels scary, but in the light of the Son - by whose\ngrace my lungs fill with air as I type - I can walk and work with plans that\nchange knowing my faithful God satisfies.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\nToday Spurgeon's \"Morning and Evening\" was on John 4:14\n\n!!! note \"John 4:14\"\n\n But whoever drinks of this water which I will give to him will never be thirsty for eternity, but the water which I will give to him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”\n\nBeing autistic and growing up in the Church led to a few acute pain points for\nme growing up. A commonplace issue for me was when theological truths were\nexpressed in absolute terms but didn't \"feel absolutely true\" for me. I made a\npractice of trying to force myself to just \"be ok\" in light of the truth.\n\n!!! warning \"A Memory\"\n\n Marissa was one of my best friends in high school - we spent a lot of time together in church, school, extra-curriculars, etc. She was an ever-present friend to me even when I was difficult to love. I recall multiple times, and one vivid memory for sure where I wasn't doing well and she inquired. But my response was \"I have Jesus, so I have to be OK\". I tried to filter my immediate acute pain through the lens of eternal glory. And yes, Paul muses in this fashion as well, but Paul wasn't a 16 year old undiagnosed autistic... Was everythign going to be alright in the end when I was 16? Oh ya, but was everything all right then? No... Marissa was a great friend, and Jesus has been sweet to me in this struggle, but nonetheless it would've been awesome if someone recognized the pain I was in with the wisdom to address me back then.\n\nToday, one of those truths comes up but it is not painful - **it is so relieving**\n\n## The heart is as insatiable as the grave until Jesus enters it\n\nYesterday God brought me a truth that he sustains me unto his own service -\n\u003ca href=\"/reflection-1-kings-19-8/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Reflection - 1 Kings 19:8\" data-description=\"Spurgeon picked 1 Kings 19:8 this morning and his meditation was encouraging at a meta-level. Highlighting to me that we (Christians) in maturity can be...\" data-date=\"2025-10-05\"\u003eReflection - 1 Kings 19:8\u003c/a\u003e. And today I'm reminded that on his sustenance I\nwill \"never thirst\". But of course this isn't a plain and simple truth. I\nthirst for grace more and more every day, but what I'm finding in the season of\nending Summer 2025, post/present-multiple years of political awareness, and\nnear-hatred for my financial reliance on some other guy's company that my heart\n**wants** for much right now, but even **in that wanting** this truth rests\nsoftly on me that Jesus is and ought to be enough. I can be resistant to this\nout of fear of losing a drive to provide more and more for my family.\nContentedness is certainly a gift from God, but as I've been reflecting I see\nfear in my heart... As I've rejected the truth that \"Jesus is **enough**\" my\nheart longs for satisfaction, and when I get in my own way then fear and sin\ncreep in.\n\nFor me and my reflection right now the competing ideas are building financial\nwealth for myself and my family out of a desire for freedom from a system that\nI don't like, but also... isn't Jesus enough? My heart is in the same cunundrum\nas I was in at 16 when asked \"are you OK?\". But with wisdom, experince, and\nperspective I guess the tension isn't uncomfortable anymore (not that I'm\nliving in the tension perfectly). There's work for Jesus to do on my heart, and\nyet I know the work he has done and that proves his faithfulness to me to not\nleave me unfinished.\n\nAs he works on me, I have day-to-day choices to make.\n\n1. Whom will I serve?\n2. What will fill my heart?\n3. Will what I fill it with satisfy or like a glass of salt-water at sea leave me worse-off in the end?\n\nJesus has been good to me in ushering my heart through truths like this where\nthere's an \"already but not yet\" element to them. Jesus fully satisfies my\nheart, this is true. It's also true that I'm still a sinner. I don't feel like\nI always only thirst for more of my Lord - today I thirst for a larger\nretirement account and assets to financially support me for the next 20\nyears... is this wrong? I don't think so, not with appropriate perspective. And\nI've been feeling more and more in the last few weeks that Jesus is restoring\nme unto a new season of service and work. I don't know what it'll look like and\naccepting a murky future feels scary, but in the light of the Son - by whose\ngrace my lungs fill with air as I type - I can walk and work with plans that\nchange knowing my faithful God satisfies.\n", "summary": "Today Spurgeon's \"Morning and Evening\" was on John 4:14", "date_published": "2025-10-06T06:09:02Z", "date_modified": "2025-10-06T06:09:02Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "reflection", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-1-kings-19-8/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-1-kings-19-8/", "title": "Reflection - 1 Kings 19:8", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003eSpurgeon picked 1 Kings 19:8 this morning and his meditation was encouraging at\na meta-level. Highlighting to me that we (Christians) in maturity can be\nrefreshed from any passage of scripture. This isn\u0026rsquo;t because the Bible is magic,\nand I believe it should be studied appropriately in context (heavily) in order to\nsolidify foundational pieces of understanding.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut I also cannot deny that I serve a living God who actively works in the\nlives of people - and one way he might do that is to encourage through pastoral\nreflection on Biblical truths that may be \u003cstrong\u003ebrought to mind\u003c/strong\u003e though not\nnecessarily instructed in a passage. This is a specific point of Christian life\nthat I have been meditating loosely on lately - to be open in my heart to\nfinding joy and refreshment in Biblical truths that God may bring to mind even\nthough the \u0026ldquo;origin\u0026rdquo; of that thought might be an unrelated passage of Scripture.\nThis has been the case for a few weeks at this point, and today felt\nsignificant as I read Spurgeon\u0026rsquo;s thoughts on being supplied for the sake of the\nLord\u0026rsquo;s service.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e1 Kings 19:8\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo he got up, ate, drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights up to Horeb, the mountain of God.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition warning\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eQuick Context\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJezebel is chasing the prophet Elijah who has fled into the wilderness. Elijah\nfears for his life and asks Yahweh to simply kill him. Yahweh (well, the \u003ca href=\"/angel-of-yahweh/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Angel of Yahweh\" data-description=\"The Angel of Yahweh is but isn\u0026#39;t Yahweh, it\u0026#39;s the second person of the Trinity, the visible Yahweh to the invisible Yahweh\" data-date=\"2025-10-05\" data-preview=\"The Angel of Yahweh is but isn\u0026#39;t Yahweh, it\u0026#39;s the second person of the Trinity, the visible Yahweh to the invisible Yahweh\"\u003eAngel of Yahweh\u003c/a\u003e\u0026hellip;\nbut we\u0026rsquo;ll do that another time) meets him in his distress resting\nunder a tree - he provides food, water, and protection for Elijah to take a\nnap. He does it again and then tells Elijah to travel to Horeb.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"reflection\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eReflection\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#reflection\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eElijah is faithful to the Lord, and finds himself tired and in need. Yahweh\nmeets him, feeds him, and then \u003cstrong\u003egives him more work to do\u003c/strong\u003e. This is the point\nof Spurgeon\u0026rsquo;s writing this morning, that every ounce of work should be poured\nout unto the Lord\u0026rsquo;s service. Every single thing I do should be laced with songs\nof praise to the King. It\u0026rsquo;s easy to say \u0026ldquo;blessed be the Name of the Lord\u0026rdquo; when\nI am in surplus, and even in trial and want I think my faith has been tested\nand proven to some non-trivial degrees\u0026hellip; But what about when I\u0026rsquo;m tired? Do I\nseek rest as a means to be refreshed \u003cstrong\u003eunto his service\u003c/strong\u003e? Or do I seek a\nhollow shell of rest, one that in reality isn\u0026rsquo;t restorative and refreshing, but\nis instead deadening and numbing\u0026hellip; I think I find myself actively pushing\nagainst holy rest out of love for, and slavery to myself. Maybe not quite to\ndoom and selfish as to say \u0026ldquo;myself\u0026rdquo; only, but out of fear of something else -\nmaybe as trivial as failure.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod is bringing to my mind why I haven\u0026rsquo;t built more, why I\u0026rsquo;m disconnected from\nwork, why I zonk out so much\u0026hellip; If I accept refreshment - physical refreshment-\nthrough a God-given grace then I am duty-bound to use it wisely\u0026hellip; But I find\nthat I am afraid of the daunting work of doing something well, and day to day I\nfind myself hesitant to accept the refreshment out of an abandonment of the\ngood that can come through the hard work of doing it well.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod is telling me to eat and drink, to be refreshed\u0026hellip; I genuinely believe God\nis speaking to me through 1 King 19:8 - to take the strength he provides via\nthe channels I know he provides them, and to wisely-steward the work he\u0026rsquo;s given\nme to do.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis week I\u0026rsquo;ve pre-planned to dedicate time away from work to my own project\nand I feel encouraged going into tomorrow almost with foreknowledge of the\nstrength God will offer me in the morning\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\nSpurgeon picked 1 Kings 19:8 this morning and his meditation was encouraging at\na meta-level. Highlighting to me that we (Christians) in maturity can be\nrefreshed from any passage of scripture. This isn't because the Bible is magic,\nand I believe it should be studied appropriately in context (heavily) in order to\nsolidify foundational pieces of understanding.\n\nBut I also cannot deny that I serve a living God who actively works in the\nlives of people - and one way he might do that is to encourage through pastoral\nreflection on Biblical truths that may be **brought to mind** though not\nnecessarily instructed in a passage. This is a specific point of Christian life\nthat I have been meditating loosely on lately - to be open in my heart to\nfinding joy and refreshment in Biblical truths that God may bring to mind even\nthough the \"origin\" of that thought might be an unrelated passage of Scripture.\nThis has been the case for a few weeks at this point, and today felt\nsignificant as I read Spurgeon's thoughts on being supplied for the sake of the\nLord's service.\n\n!!! note \"1 Kings 19:8\"\n\n So he got up, ate, drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights up to Horeb, the mountain of God.\n\n!!! warning \"Quick Context\"\n\n Jezebel is chasing the prophet Elijah who has fled into the wilderness. Elijah\n fears for his life and asks Yahweh to simply kill him. Yahweh (well, the \u003ca href=\"/angel-of-yahweh/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Angel of Yahweh\" data-description=\"The Angel of Yahweh is but isn\u0026#39;t Yahweh, it\u0026#39;s the second person of the Trinity, the visible Yahweh to the invisible Yahweh\" data-date=\"2025-10-05\"\u003eAngel of Yahweh\u003c/a\u003e...\n but we'll do that another time) meets him in his distress resting\n under a tree - he provides food, water, and protection for Elijah to take a\n nap. He does it again and then tells Elijah to travel to Horeb.\n\n## Reflection\n\nElijah is faithful to the Lord, and finds himself tired and in need. Yahweh\nmeets him, feeds him, and then **gives him more work to do**. This is the point\nof Spurgeon's writing this morning, that every ounce of work should be poured\nout unto the Lord's service. Every single thing I do should be laced with songs\nof praise to the King. It's easy to say \"blessed be the Name of the Lord\" when\nI am in surplus, and even in trial and want I think my faith has been tested\nand proven to some non-trivial degrees... But what about when I'm tired? Do I\nseek rest as a means to be refreshed **unto his service**? Or do I seek a\nhollow shell of rest, one that in reality isn't restorative and refreshing, but\nis instead deadening and numbing... I think I find myself actively pushing\nagainst holy rest out of love for, and slavery to myself. Maybe not quite to\ndoom and selfish as to say \"myself\" only, but out of fear of something else -\nmaybe as trivial as failure.\n\nGod is bringing to my mind why I haven't built more, why I'm disconnected from\nwork, why I zonk out so much... If I accept refreshment - physical refreshment-\nthrough a God-given grace then I am duty-bound to use it wisely... But I find\nthat I am afraid of the daunting work of doing something well, and day to day I\nfind myself hesitant to accept the refreshment out of an abandonment of the\ngood that can come through the hard work of doing it well.\n\nGod is telling me to eat and drink, to be refreshed... I genuinely believe God\nis speaking to me through 1 King 19:8 - to take the strength he provides via\nthe channels I know he provides them, and to wisely-steward the work he's given\nme to do.\n\nThis week I've pre-planned to dedicate time away from work to my own project\nand I feel encouraged going into tomorrow almost with foreknowledge of the\nstrength God will offer me in the morning\n", "summary": "Spurgeon picked 1 Kings 19:8 this morning and his meditation was encouraging at a meta-level. Highlighting to me that we (Christians) in maturity can be...", "date_published": "2025-10-05T06:59:52Z", "date_modified": "2025-10-05T06:59:52Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "reflection", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-psalm-84-11/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-psalm-84-11/", "title": "Reflection - Psalm 84:11", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003eSpurgeon\u0026rsquo;s Morning and Evening today (actually the evening one) is for \u003ca href=\"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+84%3A11\u0026amp;version=ESV\"\u003ePsalm 84:11\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePsalm 84:11\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePsalm 84:11 (LEB): 11 Because Yahweh God is a sun and a shield; Yahweh gives grace and honor. He does not withhold good from those who walk blamelessly.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat is it to me to hear and know that \u003cstrong\u003eYahweh gives grace and honor\u003c/strong\u003e? I\u0026rsquo;m asking this because Spurgon\u0026rsquo;s meditation this morning has a particularly striking line in it\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe little conjunction “and” in this verse is a diamond rivet binding the present with the future: grace and glory always go together.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe translation he was using has \u0026ldquo;glory\u0026rdquo;, I quoted \u0026ldquo;honor\u0026rdquo;. The word is \u003ccode\u003eכָּבוֹד\u003c/code\u003e\n(kabod) which generally basically means \u0026ldquo;weight\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI got very distracted this morning unfortunately and therefore my reflection\nwill be cut short\u0026hellip; I know meditating on these things opens my day up to go in\na better direction\u0026hellip; May Yahweh give grace to me today, to live in a glorified\nand honorable way\u0026hellip; one worthy of the gospel of Christ.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePhilippians 1:27\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n", "content_text": "\nSpurgeon's Morning and Evening today (actually the evening one) is for [Psalm 84:11](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+84%3A11\u0026version=ESV).\n\n!!! note \"Psalm 84:11\"\n\n Psalm 84:11 (LEB): 11 Because Yahweh God is a sun and a shield; Yahweh gives grace and honor. He does not withhold good from those who walk blamelessly.\n\nWhat is it to me to hear and know that **Yahweh gives grace and honor**? I'm asking this because Spurgon's meditation this morning has a particularly striking line in it\n\n\u003e The little conjunction “and” in this verse is a diamond rivet binding the present with the future: grace and glory always go together.\n\nThe translation he was using has \"glory\", I quoted \"honor\". The word is `כָּבוֹד`\n(kabod) which generally basically means \"weight\".\n\nI got very distracted this morning unfortunately and therefore my reflection\nwill be cut short... I know meditating on these things opens my day up to go in\na better direction... May Yahweh give grace to me today, to live in a glorified\nand honorable way... one worthy of the gospel of Christ.\n\n!!! note \"Philippians 1:27\"\n\n Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel\n", "summary": "Spurgeon's Morning and Evening today (actually the evening one) is for Psalm 84:11.", "date_published": "2025-10-01T06:34:25Z", "date_modified": "2025-10-01T06:34:25Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "reflection", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-deuteronomy-33-29/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-deuteronomy-33-29/", "title": "Reflection - Deuteronomy 33:29", "content_html": "\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNote reflections are not theological study\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpurgeon\u0026rsquo;s Morning and Evening today starts with:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eDeuteronomy 33:29\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDeuteronomy 33:29 (LEB): 29 Blessed are you, O Israel. Who is like you, a people who is saved by Yahweh, the shield of your help, and who is the sword of your triumph, and your enemies, they shall fawn before you, and you shall tread on their backs.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat is it to be saved by Yahweh? It is to be blessed\u0026hellip; Material blessings are the cheapest understanding of this idea\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"admonition danger\" open\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eDanger\u003c/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI feel such a strong need to even say that, in any of my public reflections to try to caveat every statement that someone hostile to my faith might say while reading, or get ahead of a bad idea a less mature Christian might hear me say without enough context\u0026hellip; but ultimately these reflections are not deep study, and when I acknowledge that \u0026rsquo;to be saved by God is to be blessed\u0026rsquo; I don\u0026rsquo;t need to follow it up with \u0026ldquo;but not necessarily with money and possessions\u0026rdquo;\u0026hellip; No, the truth of God flows from the Word and through our lives out of experience with him, and out of that intersection this morning do I proclaim I am blessed and saved by Yahweh\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/details\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe blessing is the saving, and the saving is the blessing. Apart from faith in\nJesus, I see no way to understand this biblical truth appropriately. In\nYahweh\u0026rsquo;s divine grace he has called me - he is the shield of my help in what he\nhas called me to. A simple summary is that he enables me to do the job he\u0026rsquo;s\ngiven. This is why the saving is the blessing\u0026hellip; Any creature is most happy,\nmost safe, most successful when it is operating within the bounds of its design\nand purpose\u0026hellip; An airplane is a fast mode of transportation but if you place it\non the highway - outside the boundaries of the sky and put in the context it\nwasn\u0026rsquo;t meant to operate it, it won\u0026rsquo;t be a very fast or useful means of getting\nfrom A to B.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYahweh\u0026rsquo;s saving act of grace invites humans into the context whereby they can\nlive according to their design and purpose. I believe the humanitarian efforts\nto unite humanity along common grounds are good-faith efforts doomed to fail\nbecause to be \u003cstrong\u003etruly\u003c/strong\u003e human is to be saved by the One Who Saves\u0026hellip; Yahweh\nsaves his people \u003cstrong\u003eback to humanity\u003c/strong\u003e (or forward to a new humanity - I\u0026rsquo;m not\nhere to debate eschatology with anyone at the moment). In this grace is unity and freedom.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy reflections consistently revolve around what is becoming a central theme in\nmy theology - the meaning of freedom in Jesus. He saved me back to being truly\nhuman, and in my humanity I freely choose to live my life in loyalty to the one\nwho saves me. I\u0026rsquo;m only free to choose the right thing because he enabled me to.\nIn making that choice, whatever it might be, if I choose the godly option it\ncomes with the most blessing. That blessing is being conformed into the image\nand likeness of Jesus. Yahweh molds me into what it means to be hunman\u0026hellip;\nSanctification is the process by which we \u0026ldquo;more naturally\u0026rdquo; choose the godly\nthing. Because as our will is molded to his, our natural choice more often\naligns with what God wants. The blessing has to be understood ultimately as\nbeing saved, as restoration\u0026hellip; To see blessing as money or power or success is\nto remain broken, remaining broken is evidence of not being saved. ie. It\u0026rsquo;s\nonly by the saving power of Jesus that the blessing of being saved can be\nunderstood - this is how Paul can say that even blessings on earth are garbage\ncompared to the glories of heaven.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe picture of the perfect human becomes more clear to me day by day as Jesus\nreveals himself to me, and I pray the freedom in Christ permeates my life\nquickly and deeply so that my free-will choice aligns with God\u0026rsquo;s will for my\nlife. In that state is shalom.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n\u003e Note reflections are not theological study\n\nSpurgeon's Morning and Evening today starts with:\n\n!!! note \"Deuteronomy 33:29\"\n\n Deuteronomy 33:29 (LEB): 29 Blessed are you, O Israel. Who is like you, a people who is saved by Yahweh, the shield of your help, and who is the sword of your triumph, and your enemies, they shall fawn before you, and you shall tread on their backs.”\n\nWhat is it to be saved by Yahweh? It is to be blessed... Material blessings are the cheapest understanding of this idea...\n\n???+ danger \"\"\n\n I feel such a strong need to even say that, in any of my public reflections to try to caveat every statement that someone hostile to my faith might say while reading, or get ahead of a bad idea a less mature Christian might hear me say without enough context... but ultimately these reflections are not deep study, and when I acknowledge that 'to be saved by God is to be blessed' I don't need to follow it up with \"but not necessarily with money and possessions\"... No, the truth of God flows from the Word and through our lives out of experience with him, and out of that intersection this morning do I proclaim I am blessed and saved by Yahweh...\n\nThe blessing is the saving, and the saving is the blessing. Apart from faith in\nJesus, I see no way to understand this biblical truth appropriately. In\nYahweh's divine grace he has called me - he is the shield of my help in what he\nhas called me to. A simple summary is that he enables me to do the job he's\ngiven. This is why the saving is the blessing... Any creature is most happy,\nmost safe, most successful when it is operating within the bounds of its design\nand purpose... An airplane is a fast mode of transportation but if you place it\non the highway - outside the boundaries of the sky and put in the context it\nwasn't meant to operate it, it won't be a very fast or useful means of getting\nfrom A to B.\n\nYahweh's saving act of grace invites humans into the context whereby they can\nlive according to their design and purpose. I believe the humanitarian efforts\nto unite humanity along common grounds are good-faith efforts doomed to fail\nbecause to be **truly** human is to be saved by the One Who Saves... Yahweh\nsaves his people **back to humanity** (or forward to a new humanity - I'm not\nhere to debate eschatology with anyone at the moment). In this grace is unity and freedom.\n\nMy reflections consistently revolve around what is becoming a central theme in\nmy theology - the meaning of freedom in Jesus. He saved me back to being truly\nhuman, and in my humanity I freely choose to live my life in loyalty to the one\nwho saves me. I'm only free to choose the right thing because he enabled me to.\nIn making that choice, whatever it might be, if I choose the godly option it\ncomes with the most blessing. That blessing is being conformed into the image\nand likeness of Jesus. Yahweh molds me into what it means to be hunman...\nSanctification is the process by which we \"more naturally\" choose the godly\nthing. Because as our will is molded to his, our natural choice more often\naligns with what God wants. The blessing has to be understood ultimately as\nbeing saved, as restoration... To see blessing as money or power or success is\nto remain broken, remaining broken is evidence of not being saved. ie. It's\nonly by the saving power of Jesus that the blessing of being saved can be\nunderstood - this is how Paul can say that even blessings on earth are garbage\ncompared to the glories of heaven.\n\nThe picture of the perfect human becomes more clear to me day by day as Jesus\nreveals himself to me, and I pray the freedom in Christ permeates my life\nquickly and deeply so that my free-will choice aligns with God's will for my\nlife. In that state is shalom.\n", "summary": "Note reflections are not theological study", "date_published": "2025-09-27T06:38:42Z", "date_modified": "2025-09-27T06:38:42Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "reflection", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-romans-3-26/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-romans-3-26/", "title": "Reflection - Romans 3:26", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003eFrom Morning and Evening today, Spurgeon has thoughts on Romans 3:26. I need\nmore context personally, so here\u0026rsquo;s a newer translation of 3:25-26\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eRomans 3:25-26\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e25God put Jesus forth as the place of mercy, through faithfulness, by\nmeans of his blood. He did this to demonstrate his covenant justice, because\nof the passing over (in divine forbearance) of sins committed beforehand.\n26This was to demonstrate his covenant justice in the present time: that\nis, that he himself is in the right, and that he declares to be in the right\neveryone who trusts in the faithfulness of Jesus.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGoldingay, J., \u0026amp; Wright, T. (2018). The Bible for Everyone: A New Translation\n(Ro 3:25–26). SPCK.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"admonition danger\"\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eNPP\u003c/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m not here to debate \u0026ldquo;faith in Jesus\u0026rdquo; vs \u0026ldquo;faithfulness of Jesus\u0026rdquo;\u0026hellip; I\nfeel so beyond debating semantics when either way it\u0026rsquo;s Jesus who gives you\nfaith and chooses in the first place\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/details\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpurgeon\u0026rsquo;s meditation certainly resolves around Penal Substitutionary\nAtonement, a doctrine I have come to mostly reject, but I have plenty of\ncommon-ground with a conviction of PSA-subscribers and Spurgeon - and that\u0026rsquo;s\nthat we can trust, as chosen people of God, that \u0026ldquo;there is now \u003cstrong\u003eno\u003c/strong\u003e\ncondemnation for those in Christ Jesus\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot only is there no condemnation, but on the contrary Jesus \u003cstrong\u003edeclares to be\nin the right everyone who trusts\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the great confidence of the Christian, and the source of my comfort -\nthat even though there is sin in my past and future (and I pray sorrow over\nit), I can trust in God\u0026rsquo;s unchanging nature. He says in effect \u0026ldquo;Out of my\ndivine grace to call your name from the grave, by the covering of Jesus and the\nwork of the cross, you are free. Free from condemnation, free from judgement,\nand today (and everyday) free from the yoke of sin\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFreedom\u0026hellip; such an interesting word\u0026hellip; It came up recently in my\n\u003ca href=\"/reflection-galatians-5-1/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Reflection - Galatians 5:1\" data-description=\"Spurgeon\u0026#39;s \u0026#34;Morning and Evening\u0026#34; today is about the freedom we have in Christ. Freedom is a core concept of Christianity, and one no doubt bastardized and...\" data-date=\"2025-09-19\" data-preview=\"Spurgeon\u0026#39;s \u0026#34;Morning and Evening\u0026#34; today is about the freedom we have in Christ. Freedom is a core concept of Christianity, and one no doubt bastardized and...\"\u003eReflection - Galatians 5:1\u003c/a\u003e as well. I guess as I reflect here, freedom is\nabout our behavior and what we do or don\u0026rsquo;t do. But confidence is the partner of\nfreedom. A child who has the freedom on the playground to play with whatever\nthey want will sit in the corner if they are afraid of consequences of doing\nsomething wrong - this would come from a place of not trusting in the freedom\nthey\u0026rsquo;ve been given. The child lacks comfort in their freedom to play with what\nthey want unless the faithfulness and goodness of the one who gives the freedom\nis impressed into the child and they can exercise trust in that authority -\nwhich is manifest in their joyful play on the playground.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo for the Christian this obviously doesn\u0026rsquo;t mean \u0026ldquo;free to do whatever I want\u0026rdquo;,\nthe metaphor isn\u0026rsquo;t perfect (it\u0026rsquo;s made better by aligning the walls around a\nplayground with the boundaries of proper-human living)\u0026hellip; Jesus actually gives\nme the freedom to do \u003cstrong\u003ehis\u003c/strong\u003e will over my own, because apart from him I am not\nable to choose anything besides the sinful desires of my own heart.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut this morning, I think the full circle is that when I do choose my own\ndesires, when I fall back into the \u0026ldquo;not yet\u0026rdquo;, when I sacrifice my divine\nfreedom on the altar of my own life for a cheap song, I can \u003cstrong\u003estill have\nconfidence that my God calls me right by the work of my Lord, Jesus\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis great confidence can never excuse sin, can never justify the choice. But\nthe reality is that a good God ordered and created the world, and he chooses\nwhomever he chooses\u0026hellip; By his graceful choice to adopt me, I have confidence in\nhis Name that the sin I run to will not ultimately destroy me - because Jesus\nintervened and gives me new life everyday\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\nFrom Morning and Evening today, Spurgeon has thoughts on Romans 3:26. I need\nmore context personally, so here's a newer translation of 3:25-26\n\n!!! note \"Romans 3:25-26\"\n\n 25God put Jesus forth as the place of mercy, through faithfulness, by\n means of his blood. He did this to demonstrate his covenant justice, because\n of the passing over (in divine forbearance) of sins committed beforehand.\n 26This was to demonstrate his covenant justice in the present time: that\n is, that he himself is in the right, and that he declares to be in the right\n everyone who trusts in the faithfulness of Jesus.\n\n Goldingay, J., \u0026 Wright, T. (2018). The Bible for Everyone: A New Translation\n (Ro 3:25–26). SPCK.\n\n??? danger \"NPP\"\n\n I'm not here to debate \"faith in Jesus\" vs \"faithfulness of Jesus\"... I\n feel so beyond debating semantics when either way it's Jesus who gives you\n faith and chooses in the first place\n\nSpurgeon's meditation certainly resolves around Penal Substitutionary\nAtonement, a doctrine I have come to mostly reject, but I have plenty of\ncommon-ground with a conviction of PSA-subscribers and Spurgeon - and that's\nthat we can trust, as chosen people of God, that \"there is now **no**\ncondemnation for those in Christ Jesus\"\n\nNot only is there no condemnation, but on the contrary Jesus **declares to be\nin the right everyone who trusts**.\n\nThis is the great confidence of the Christian, and the source of my comfort -\nthat even though there is sin in my past and future (and I pray sorrow over\nit), I can trust in God's unchanging nature. He says in effect \"Out of my\ndivine grace to call your name from the grave, by the covering of Jesus and the\nwork of the cross, you are free. Free from condemnation, free from judgement,\nand today (and everyday) free from the yoke of sin\"\n\nFreedom... such an interesting word... It came up recently in my\n\u003ca href=\"/reflection-galatians-5-1/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Reflection - Galatians 5:1\" data-description=\"Spurgeon\u0026#39;s \u0026#34;Morning and Evening\u0026#34; today is about the freedom we have in Christ. Freedom is a core concept of Christianity, and one no doubt bastardized and...\" data-date=\"2025-09-19\"\u003eReflection - Galatians 5:1\u003c/a\u003e as well. I guess as I reflect here, freedom is\nabout our behavior and what we do or don't do. But confidence is the partner of\nfreedom. A child who has the freedom on the playground to play with whatever\nthey want will sit in the corner if they are afraid of consequences of doing\nsomething wrong - this would come from a place of not trusting in the freedom\nthey've been given. The child lacks comfort in their freedom to play with what\nthey want unless the faithfulness and goodness of the one who gives the freedom\nis impressed into the child and they can exercise trust in that authority -\nwhich is manifest in their joyful play on the playground.\n\nSo for the Christian this obviously doesn't mean \"free to do whatever I want\",\nthe metaphor isn't perfect (it's made better by aligning the walls around a\nplayground with the boundaries of proper-human living)... Jesus actually gives\nme the freedom to do **his** will over my own, because apart from him I am not\nable to choose anything besides the sinful desires of my own heart.\n\nBut this morning, I think the full circle is that when I do choose my own\ndesires, when I fall back into the \"not yet\", when I sacrifice my divine\nfreedom on the altar of my own life for a cheap song, I can **still have\nconfidence that my God calls me right by the work of my Lord, Jesus**\n\nThis great confidence can never excuse sin, can never justify the choice. But\nthe reality is that a good God ordered and created the world, and he chooses\nwhomever he chooses... By his graceful choice to adopt me, I have confidence in\nhis Name that the sin I run to will not ultimately destroy me - because Jesus\nintervened and gives me new life everyday\n", "summary": "From Morning and Evening today, Spurgeon has thoughts on Romans 3:26. I need more context personally, so here's a newer translation of 3:25-26", "date_published": "2025-09-24T05:42:24Z", "date_modified": "2025-09-24T05:42:24Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "reflection", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-galatians-5-1/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-galatians-5-1/", "title": "Reflection - Galatians 5:1", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003eSpurgeon\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;Morning and Evening\u0026rdquo; today is about the freedom we have in Christ.\nFreedom is a core concept of Christianity, and one no doubt bastardized and\nwarped by modern progressive culture (like Ancient Greek modern, not 2010s modern).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFreedom is \u003cstrong\u003enot\u003c/strong\u003e the ability to do whatever I want without consequence\u0026hellip;\nit\u0026rsquo;s not even the ability to do whatever I want! What a nightmarish hell the\nworld would be if each one of us could (and especially did) act on every desire\nthat comes into our hearts\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition danger\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eIsle of Dreams\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s like the Island of Dreams in CS Lewis\u0026rsquo; Voyage of the Dawn Treader\u0026hellip; The\nseaman are all excited about their \u0026ldquo;dreams\u0026rdquo; (long lost lovers, money, etc) but\nthe man they rescue makes it clear to them it\u0026rsquo;s not the place where daydreams\ncome true\u0026hellip; but dreams\u0026hellip;. think of the scary dreams you\u0026rsquo;ve had, or you\u0026rsquo;ve\nheard your kids have\u0026hellip; With that context you probably don\u0026rsquo;t want to go to the\nIsland of Dreams\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.statically.io/gh/pypeaday/images.pype.dev/main/blog-media/20250919112304_e78b23fa.png\" alt=\"20250919112304_e78b23fa.png\"\u003e\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo, this childish anti-view of \u0026ldquo;freedom\u0026rdquo; should\nimmediately be rejected by any well-reasoned adult, let alone Christian\u0026hellip; In\nthis view, self-restraint is the antithesis of freedom, and not that I have\nsome well-endowed argument against that - only I\u0026rsquo;d say it feels ridiculous that\nthese 2 ideas would be at odds. It\u0026rsquo;s simply unreasonable to me. But perhaps my\nconviction on that unreasonableness stems from an understanding that the\nfreedom Jesus offers is so much better than whatever pleases my fleeting\nfancies.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd by that same token, freedom is not our daydreams\u0026hellip; we were all created\nwith purpose - humans made in the image of God. Accepting and understanding\nthat truth absolutely ought to affect how we live. I am not a \u0026ldquo;good person\u0026rdquo; by\ndefault - I have the \u003cstrong\u003efreedom\u003c/strong\u003e to act \u0026ldquo;good\u0026rdquo; because Jesus saves me, and\ncalls me to a higher standard of living than I would call myself to.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd that\u0026rsquo;s the meditation today - bourne out of the words in Galatians 5:1\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eGalatians 5:1\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf I were to submit myself to my own desires, I\u0026rsquo;d end up a slave to them. I\u0026rsquo;ve\nfelt this reality in many ways over my life, and Jesus has been good to me. He\nfrees me from myself, he freely offers himself to me (aye, his message goes out\nto all the world, and the ones who are called answer). In that freedom I\u0026rsquo;m\nfaced with a choice, the same choice as the Garden\u0026hellip; Do what I want (eat of\nthe tree of knowledge of good and bad) or trust what God says is good, is good,\nand make the choice by Jesus\u0026rsquo; grace to \u003cstrong\u003enot\u003c/strong\u003e eat of the tree of knowledge of\ngood and bad, but instead of the tree of life, presently experienced as\ncommunion with the Holy Spirit and fellowship with my King Jesus.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor freedom Christ has set me free, may I walk in his freedom today.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\nSpurgeon's \"Morning and Evening\" today is about the freedom we have in Christ.\nFreedom is a core concept of Christianity, and one no doubt bastardized and\nwarped by modern progressive culture (like Ancient Greek modern, not 2010s modern).\n\nFreedom is __not__ the ability to do whatever I want without consequence...\nit's not even the ability to do whatever I want! What a nightmarish hell the\nworld would be if each one of us could (and especially did) act on every desire\nthat comes into our hearts... \n\n!!! danger \"Isle of Dreams\"\n\n It's like the Island of Dreams in CS Lewis' Voyage of the Dawn Treader... The\n seaman are all excited about their \"dreams\" (long lost lovers, money, etc) but\n the man they rescue makes it clear to them it's not the place where daydreams\n come true... but dreams.... think of the scary dreams you've had, or you've\n heard your kids have... With that context you probably don't want to go to the\n Island of Dreams\n\n![20250919112304_e78b23fa.png](https://cdn.statically.io/gh/pypeaday/images.pype.dev/main/blog-media/20250919112304_e78b23fa.png)\n\nSo, this childish anti-view of \"freedom\" should\nimmediately be rejected by any well-reasoned adult, let alone Christian... In\nthis view, self-restraint is the antithesis of freedom, and not that I have\nsome well-endowed argument against that - only I'd say it feels ridiculous that\nthese 2 ideas would be at odds. It's simply unreasonable to me. But perhaps my\nconviction on that unreasonableness stems from an understanding that the\nfreedom Jesus offers is so much better than whatever pleases my fleeting\nfancies.\n\nAnd by that same token, freedom is not our daydreams... we were all created\nwith purpose - humans made in the image of God. Accepting and understanding\nthat truth absolutely ought to affect how we live. I am not a \"good person\" by\ndefault - I have the __freedom__ to act \"good\" because Jesus saves me, and\ncalls me to a higher standard of living than I would call myself to.\n\nAnd that's the meditation today - bourne out of the words in Galatians 5:1\n\n!!! note \"Galatians 5:1\"\n\n For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. \n\nIf I were to submit myself to my own desires, I'd end up a slave to them. I've\nfelt this reality in many ways over my life, and Jesus has been good to me. He\nfrees me from myself, he freely offers himself to me (aye, his message goes out\nto all the world, and the ones who are called answer). In that freedom I'm\nfaced with a choice, the same choice as the Garden... Do what I want (eat of\nthe tree of knowledge of good and bad) or trust what God says is good, is good,\nand make the choice by Jesus' grace to __not__ eat of the tree of knowledge of\ngood and bad, but instead of the tree of life, presently experienced as\ncommunion with the Holy Spirit and fellowship with my King Jesus.\n\nFor freedom Christ has set me free, may I walk in his freedom today.\n\n", "summary": "Spurgeon's \"Morning and Evening\" today is about the freedom we have in Christ. Freedom is a core concept of Christianity, and one no doubt bastardized and...", "date_published": "2025-09-19T06:04:58Z", "date_modified": "2025-09-19T06:04:58Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "reflection", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-galatians-5-24-25/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-galatians-5-24-25/", "title": "Reflection - Galatians 5:24-25", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eGalatians 5:24-25\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e24 Now those ⌊who belong to Christ⌋  have crucified the flesh together with its feelings and its desires.\n25 If we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit. 26 We must not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpurgeon\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;Morning and Evening\u0026rdquo; is a mediation on living in and following the Spirit. He says this:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou will never find true faith unattended by true godliness; on the other\nhand, you will never discover a truly holy life which has not for its root a\nliving faith upon the righteousness of Christ\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ccode\u003egodliness\u003c/code\u003e is the \u0026ldquo;following the Spirit\u0026rdquo; in our daily lives - it is living\n\u0026ldquo;like god\u0026rdquo;. What then is \u0026ldquo;true faith\u0026rdquo;? I think I can take Spurgeon to be saying\nthat upon internal meditation do I find my faith to be secure and genuine.\n\u0026ldquo;true faith\u0026rdquo; is between me and the Lord.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe meditation this morning though\u0026hellip; \u0026ldquo;If I live by the Spirit, I must also\nfollow the Spirit\u0026rdquo; is once again heavy on my heart as I wrestled through\n\u003ca href=\"/reflecting-on-romans-7-7-13/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Reflecting on Romans 7:7-13\" data-description=\"Romans 7:7–7:13 (ESV): 7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I...\" data-date=\"2025-08-18\" data-preview=\"Romans 7:7–7:13 (ESV): 7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I...\"\u003eReflecting on Romans 7:7-13\u003c/a\u003e a few weeks ago - the reality that I daily\nchoose things contrary to my faith.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI think Paul is saying \u0026ldquo;because you have crucified the flesh\u0026rdquo; as the parallel\npoint to \u0026ldquo;we must also follow the Spirit\u0026rdquo;. He\u0026rsquo;s saying \u0026ldquo;if you say you\u0026rsquo;ve\ncrucified the flesh, show your faith by following as well\u0026rdquo; - it\u0026rsquo;s James\u0026rsquo; \u0026ldquo;show\nme your faith by what you do\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo who am I today? Whom will I serve?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese morning meditations are like my 100x push-ups a day\u0026hellip; the days I do\nthem just seem marginally better, and in a season of consistency the value\nseems to compound\u0026hellip; I thank Jesus for the conviction in the first place to\nstrive for holiness, and for the \u003cdel\u003estrength\u003c/del\u003e faith to say no to the flesh, but\nyes to the Spirit.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Galatians 5:24-25\"\n\n 24 Now those ⌊who belong to Christ⌋  have crucified the flesh together with its feelings and its desires.\n 25 If we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit. 26 We must not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.\n\nSpurgeon's \"Morning and Evening\" is a mediation on living in and following the Spirit. He says this:\n\n\u003e You will never find true faith unattended by true godliness; on the other\n\u003e hand, you will never discover a truly holy life which has not for its root a\n\u003e living faith upon the righteousness of Christ\n\n`godliness` is the \"following the Spirit\" in our daily lives - it is living\n\"like god\". What then is \"true faith\"? I think I can take Spurgeon to be saying\nthat upon internal meditation do I find my faith to be secure and genuine.\n\"true faith\" is between me and the Lord.\n\nThe meditation this morning though... \"If I live by the Spirit, I must also\nfollow the Spirit\" is once again heavy on my heart as I wrestled through\n\u003ca href=\"/reflecting-on-romans-7-7-13/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Reflecting on Romans 7:7-13\" data-description=\"Romans 7:7–7:13 (ESV): 7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I...\" data-date=\"2025-08-18\"\u003eReflecting on Romans 7:7-13\u003c/a\u003e a few weeks ago - the reality that I daily\nchoose things contrary to my faith. \n\nI think Paul is saying \"because you have crucified the flesh\" as the parallel\npoint to \"we must also follow the Spirit\". He's saying \"if you say you've\ncrucified the flesh, show your faith by following as well\" - it's James' \"show\nme your faith by what you do\"\n\nSo who am I today? Whom will I serve?\n\nThese morning meditations are like my 100x push-ups a day... the days I do\nthem just seem marginally better, and in a season of consistency the value\nseems to compound... I thank Jesus for the conviction in the first place to\nstrive for holiness, and for the ~~strength~~ faith to say no to the flesh, but\nyes to the Spirit.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Galatians 5:24-25\"", "date_published": "2025-09-18T05:39:12Z", "date_modified": "2025-09-18T05:39:12Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "reflection", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-short-erets/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-short-erets/", "title": "Reflection (Short) - Erets", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;ve been really buggin out about a project I\u0026rsquo;m working on and nearly\nforgetting to spend meaningful time during the day/mornings on reflection.\nThankfully a 60 second Bible Project video offered me a short framework this\nmorning to think about the land God created\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe video is a minute long, you can find it \u003ca href=\"https://bibleproject.com/videos/vocab-insight-erets-land/\"\u003eon the Bible Project website\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen I think about Bible stuff, especially anything related to Old Testament or\nCreation (which is actually literally everything) I have a hard time stopping\nmy mind from jumping to being critical of my brothers and sisters in Christ who\nadopt naieve or mainstream ideas about my Ancient Faith and King.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the things my spiritual family largely misses is the cosmic nature of\nthe creation account\u0026hellip;. In this case of \u003ca href=\"/erets/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"erets\" data-description=\"Hebrew word for \u0026#34;land\u0026#34;, biblically can refer to:\" data-date=\"2025-09-15\" data-preview=\"Hebrew word for \u0026#34;land\u0026#34;, biblically can refer to:\"\u003eerets\u003c/a\u003e, which shows up on page 1 of\nthe Bible, the Western mind reads \u0026ldquo;In the beginning God created the heavens and\nthe earth\u0026hellip;\u0026rdquo; and we go \u0026ldquo;oh, the globe, the planet, God made the planet,\nobviously\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd the thing is\u0026hellip; ya, he did\u0026hellip; but that\u0026rsquo;s not what the creation story gets\nat, and what it does get at is what I\u0026rsquo;m reflecting on\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod put me on the \u003ca href=\"/erets/\" class=\"glossary-term\" title=\"Hebrew word for \u0026#34;land\u0026#34;, biblically can refer to:\" data-hover-title=\"erets\"\u003eerets\u003c/a\u003e, out of the dust of the erets he formed me, and you\u0026hellip;\nThis is more than God drawing planet earth on the canvas of our universe.\nYahweh brought order to chaos, he created the heavens (literally \u0026ldquo;the skies\u0026rdquo;)\nand filled it and he also created the earth and filled it. There is a parallel\nnature to these realms - the physical earthly realm of erets and the spiritual\nheavenly realm of the skies. These words carry ancient meaning in the creation\ncontext, they are poetic and visual in nature, rather than explanatory and\nphysical.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRecognizing that the realm I\u0026rsquo;m in, God ordered and put me in, should bring\nmeaning to everything I do. My King does say to pray \u0026ldquo;[God\u0026rsquo;s] will be done on\nearth as it is in heaven\u0026rdquo;. I am supposed to be one of the ones \u0026ldquo;bringing heaven\nto earth\u0026rdquo; - carrying on the ministry of Jesus in the ways he commanded. Paul\ncommands to \u0026ldquo;do everything with gratitude\u0026rdquo; \u003ca href=\"https://biblehub.com/philippians/4-6.htm\"\u003ephilippians 4:6\u003c/a\u003e\nin my heart towards Jesus. Jesus said plainly \u0026ldquo;those who love me obey me\u0026rdquo; \u003ca href=\"https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/John%2014%3A21\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut if I misunderstand my place in the cosmos, as a representative of the one\nTrue God to the physical realm he created that exists in a planar intersection\nwith the heavenly realm, if I misunderstand this I will misrepresent my God\u0026hellip;\nand I fear I have been. I\u0026rsquo;ve been consumed with things inside my life lately,\nand perhaps that\u0026rsquo;s moderately ok\u0026hellip; I don\u0026rsquo;t think that the present trials of my\nlife are drawing me away from Jesus at all, but I\u0026rsquo;d be an idiot to not\nrecognize that there are moments in my day where I feel like nothing matters,\nwhere I walk around on God\u0026rsquo;s erets somewhat aimlessly due to my own\nself-loathing and consumption. These are moments where my flesh and sin are\nstrong, and the trials is revealing it. The meditation on my purpose in God\u0026rsquo;s\ncreation, as a member of the realm of the ordered erets, is calming me in this\nmoment.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod\u0026rsquo;s purpose for anyone is this:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e1 Thess. 5:18\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003egive thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt any moment, anyone one of us could be taken off earth - whether by old age\nlike my Grandma, or by violent hatred like \u003ca href=\"\"\u003eCharlie Kirk\u003c/a\u003e. God\u0026rsquo;s will (one of\nthe wills anyways) for anyone is the same, as a member of ordered creation\ncalled by Jesus it\u0026rsquo;s my duty to live this out\u0026hellip; and by God\u0026rsquo;s grace I know\nit\u0026rsquo;s possible by his intervention - to give thanks in everything.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe honest truth is I\u0026rsquo;m not really sure what to do besides take a breath every\nminute, acknowledge and preach the truth that Jesus is the author and perfector\nof my life and faith, and to pray this truth calms my heart in the midst of the\nturmoil I\u0026rsquo;ve been feeling lately.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYahweh orders creation, he put all of us on the erets, and the message of his\ngrace goes out to all people\u0026hellip;. who will answer and bring God\u0026rsquo;s will to the\nearth? Thankfully it\u0026rsquo;s not my job to know. My job is simple - to give thanks and to\nlove the Lord my God with all of me.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\nI've been really buggin out about a project I'm working on and nearly\nforgetting to spend meaningful time during the day/mornings on reflection.\nThankfully a 60 second Bible Project video offered me a short framework this\nmorning to think about the land God created...\n\nThe video is a minute long, you can find it [on the Bible Project website](https://bibleproject.com/videos/vocab-insight-erets-land/)\n\nWhen I think about Bible stuff, especially anything related to Old Testament or\nCreation (which is actually literally everything) I have a hard time stopping\nmy mind from jumping to being critical of my brothers and sisters in Christ who\nadopt naieve or mainstream ideas about my Ancient Faith and King.\n\nOne of the things my spiritual family largely misses is the cosmic nature of\nthe creation account.... In this case of \u003ca href=\"/erets/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"erets\" data-description=\"Hebrew word for \u0026#34;land\u0026#34;, biblically can refer to:\" data-date=\"2025-09-15\"\u003eerets\u003c/a\u003e, which shows up on page 1 of\nthe Bible, the Western mind reads \"In the beginning God created the heavens and\nthe earth...\" and we go \"oh, the globe, the planet, God made the planet,\nobviously\"\n\nAnd the thing is... ya, he did... but that's not what the creation story gets\nat, and what it does get at is what I'm reflecting on...\n\nGod put me on the erets, out of the dust of the erets he formed me, and you...\nThis is more than God drawing planet earth on the canvas of our universe.\nYahweh brought order to chaos, he created the heavens (literally \"the skies\")\nand filled it and he also created the earth and filled it. There is a parallel\nnature to these realms - the physical earthly realm of erets and the spiritual\nheavenly realm of the skies. These words carry ancient meaning in the creation\ncontext, they are poetic and visual in nature, rather than explanatory and\nphysical.\n\nRecognizing that the realm I'm in, God ordered and put me in, should bring\nmeaning to everything I do. My King does say to pray \"\\[God's\\] will be done on\nearth as it is in heaven\". I am supposed to be one of the ones \"bringing heaven\nto earth\" - carrying on the ministry of Jesus in the ways he commanded. Paul\ncommands to \"do everything with gratitude\" [philippians 4:6](https://biblehub.com/philippians/4-6.htm)\nin my heart towards Jesus. Jesus said plainly \"those who love me obey me\" [](https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/John%2014%3A21)\n\nBut if I misunderstand my place in the cosmos, as a representative of the one\nTrue God to the physical realm he created that exists in a planar intersection\nwith the heavenly realm, if I misunderstand this I will misrepresent my God...\nand I fear I have been. I've been consumed with things inside my life lately,\nand perhaps that's moderately ok... I don't think that the present trials of my\nlife are drawing me away from Jesus at all, but I'd be an idiot to not\nrecognize that there are moments in my day where I feel like nothing matters,\nwhere I walk around on God's erets somewhat aimlessly due to my own\nself-loathing and consumption. These are moments where my flesh and sin are\nstrong, and the trials is revealing it. The meditation on my purpose in God's\ncreation, as a member of the realm of the ordered erets, is calming me in this\nmoment.\n\nGod's purpose for anyone is this:\n\n!!! note \"1 Thess. 5:18\"\n\n give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.\n\nAt any moment, anyone one of us could be taken off earth - whether by old age\nlike my Grandma, or by violent hatred like [Charlie Kirk](). God's will (one of\nthe wills anyways) for anyone is the same, as a member of ordered creation\ncalled by Jesus it's my duty to live this out... and by God's grace I know\nit's possible by his intervention - to give thanks in everything.\n\nThe honest truth is I'm not really sure what to do besides take a breath every\nminute, acknowledge and preach the truth that Jesus is the author and perfector\nof my life and faith, and to pray this truth calms my heart in the midst of the\nturmoil I've been feeling lately.\n\nYahweh orders creation, he put all of us on the erets, and the message of his\ngrace goes out to all people.... who will answer and bring God's will to the\nearth? Thankfully it's not my job to know. My job is simple - to give thanks and to\nlove the Lord my God with all of me.\n", "summary": "I've been really buggin out about a project I'm working on and nearly forgetting to spend meaningful time during the day/mornings on reflection. Thankfully a...", "date_published": "2025-09-15T06:05:41Z", "date_modified": "2025-09-15T06:05:41Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "cosmos", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-they-can-come-for-anyone/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-they-can-come-for-anyone/", "title": "Reflection - They Can Come For Anyone", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003eAt some point in the recent history of my country, political tensions began\nincreasing exponentially between our 2 parties, and I had hardly cared until\nright around 2021/2022. There were policies and patterns emerging in the public\nsphere that were troubling to me, and I\u0026rsquo;ve sense developed some hard opinions.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA man was just murdered for holding opinions openly that are not much different\nthan mine - at least as far as the innate divisive nature of the opinions\u0026hellip; I\nwant my country to be safe, I proudly fly the American flag, Jesus saves me\nevery day and although America isn\u0026rsquo;t a Christian nation I feel blessed that God\nput me in this country, I value open-debate, and I\u0026rsquo;ve just so happen to come to\nhold fairly right-leaning social positions\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition danger\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eand they killed this guy for it\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCharlie Kirk was murdered for daring to challenge college kids around the country to think critically about what narrative they are force-fed through media and school\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe political landscape of America isn\u0026rsquo;t Left vs Right\u0026hellip; I mean it is, and in\nthat dichotomy unfortunately I am on the Right, but this isn\u0026rsquo;t Democratic\nvalues vs Republican values, and I\u0026rsquo;m not a Republican and most Leftists aren\u0026rsquo;t\nactually Democrats\u0026hellip; these \u0026ldquo;sides\u0026rdquo; have both been co-opted by wicked\npeople\u0026hellip; In what I\u0026rsquo;ve learned, I would\u0026rsquo;ve said Dems had it right up until the\nmid 2000s, and idk what happened but since the 10s-onward the media and\nhonestly a majority of democratic elected-officials are the ones CRANKING UP\nTHE VIOLENT RHETORIC. Conservatives are likened to Hitler in the media, Charlie\nhimself was called a faccist (what a retarded thing to say\u0026hellip; accuse the guy\nwho built his career on good-faith debate of being a police-state supporter)\nand people with national platforms are daily accusing those on the Right of\nbeing hateful simply for wanting to have debate, for not bowing down to\nidentity politics and non-arguments.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCharlie is a martyr for freedom, and a victim of the violent rhetoric the media\nhas been pushing against the Right ever since Donald Trump became the boogy-man.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI value my privacy and I believe in what I believe in\u0026hellip; I\u0026rsquo;m not ashamed to\npublically be known for any conviction I hold, but if they killed Charlie for\nanything he belived, \u003cstrong\u003ethey\u0026rsquo;d kill me too\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd who is \u0026ldquo;they\u0026rdquo;? Charlie was shot 16 hours ago, I have seen no evidence that\nthe shooter was a democrat or even on the Left\u0026hellip; but what I have seen on\nsocial media is proud Leftists celebrating the killing of a young dad, husband,\nChristian, and activist for publically encouraging people to debate and to bow\nto the better argument, not the stronger more violent opponent\u0026hellip;. I don\u0026rsquo;t know\nanything about the man who pulled the trigger, but I do know that a disturbing\nnumber of people are comfortable putting their face behind a campaign of\nassassination and fear. They\u0026rsquo;re comfortable with it because it\u0026rsquo;s socially\naacceptable to call for violence against \u003cstrong\u003esome groups\u003c/strong\u003e of people, primarily\nthe one group that is constantly villianized in absolute ignorance - White\nChristian Men\u0026hellip; If you don\u0026rsquo;t agree with this then I would say you are blinded\u0026hellip;\nChristianity is openly mocked, and you wouldn\u0026rsquo;t notice if you wouldn\u0026rsquo;t\nnotice\u0026hellip; whereas other religions are so openly protected it\u0026rsquo;s become comical to me.\nWhen\u0026rsquo;s the last time you felt comfortable making a joke about Islam or Judaism\ncompared to Christianity? Even if you wouldn\u0026rsquo;t joke about any of them, you know\nyou\u0026rsquo;d be safe to criticize one publically, and the other 2 you\u0026rsquo;d face\nconsequences for. And these are the things these lunatics celebrate\u0026hellip; they\nlove that another White Christian Man was removed from God\u0026rsquo;s green earth\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition warning\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eThese poor people\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m not complaining necessarily about Christianity\u0026rsquo;s lack of priviliege in the public sphere and my heart breaks for people who hate - period\u0026hellip;. to hate someone for a difference of worldview or opinion to the point of openly celebrating their death is one of the saddest and most sickening realities I can think of.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat can I do after this? Charlie was just a regular guy. It\u0026rsquo;s one thing to\nhave the attempted-assassination of Trump sweapt under the rug, or to brush it\noff as a targeted attack against a powerful man. But Charlie wasn\u0026rsquo;t a\npolitician\u0026hellip; he was just a guy with a job, who went around having\nconversations. The violence against the Right is stochastic in nature, but\nincreasingly present as public figures continue to use hitler and nazi-fueled\nlanguage against people they disagree with\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaired so closely in time with the news of \u003ca href=\"https://www.foxnews.com/us/victim-random-train-stabbing-embraced-american-dream-could-have-taken-world-storm-neighbors-say\"\u003eThe slaying of Iryna\nZarutska\u003c/a\u003e\nwho was attacked randomly by a man who, all unconfirmed allegations aside, had\nbeen arrested 14 times for violent crimes. And yet, in my country of freedom, a\nviolent criminal was free to murder a refugee fleeing a war-torn region\u0026hellip; (if\nyou watched any videos you\u0026rsquo;ll see 4 or 5 people witness the attack, and then do\nnothing as Iryna sorrowfully dies, alone and unaided in a foreign country\u0026hellip;\nthe victim of a monster)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCharlie commented on this event, I have the same feelings about the climax I\nthought it led to after years of under-reported race-fueld violence against\nwhite people, and he was called a racist just for noticing patterns\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf they shot him for saying something about any of his convictions, for\nbelieving he should be allowed to raise his family in safety, to attend church,\nand to openly debate for the sake of the better idea - they\u0026rsquo;d shoot me\nto\u0026hellip; and celebrate.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI take as much comfort as possible, however minimal, knowing that Charlie loved\nJesus, and that his family has the hope of resurrection in the name of Jesus to see\nhim again\u0026hellip; But 2 kids lost their dad, and a young woman lost her husband,\nlunatics celebrate, today is just another day, and if someone would come for a\nnormal guy like Charlie, they\u0026rsquo;d come for you too.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\nAt some point in the recent history of my country, political tensions began\nincreasing exponentially between our 2 parties, and I had hardly cared until\nright around 2021/2022. There were policies and patterns emerging in the public\nsphere that were troubling to me, and I've sense developed some hard opinions.\n\nA man was just murdered for holding opinions openly that are not much different\nthan mine - at least as far as the innate divisive nature of the opinions... I\nwant my country to be safe, I proudly fly the American flag, Jesus saves me\nevery day and although America isn't a Christian nation I feel blessed that God\nput me in this country, I value open-debate, and I've just so happen to come to\nhold fairly right-leaning social positions...\n\n!!! danger \"and they killed this guy for it\"\n\n Charlie Kirk was murdered for daring to challenge college kids around the country to think critically about what narrative they are force-fed through media and school\n\nThe political landscape of America isn't Left vs Right... I mean it is, and in\nthat dichotomy unfortunately I am on the Right, but this isn't Democratic\nvalues vs Republican values, and I'm not a Republican and most Leftists aren't\nactually Democrats... these \"sides\" have both been co-opted by wicked\npeople... In what I've learned, I would've said Dems had it right up until the\nmid 2000s, and idk what happened but since the 10s-onward the media and\nhonestly a majority of democratic elected-officials are the ones CRANKING UP\nTHE VIOLENT RHETORIC. Conservatives are likened to Hitler in the media, Charlie\nhimself was called a faccist (what a retarded thing to say... accuse the guy\nwho built his career on good-faith debate of being a police-state supporter)\nand people with national platforms are daily accusing those on the Right of\nbeing hateful simply for wanting to have debate, for not bowing down to\nidentity politics and non-arguments.\n\nCharlie is a martyr for freedom, and a victim of the violent rhetoric the media\nhas been pushing against the Right ever since Donald Trump became the boogy-man.\n\nI value my privacy and I believe in what I believe in... I'm not ashamed to\npublically be known for any conviction I hold, but if they killed Charlie for\nanything he belived, **they'd kill me too**.\n\nAnd who is \"they\"? Charlie was shot 16 hours ago, I have seen no evidence that\nthe shooter was a democrat or even on the Left... but what I have seen on\nsocial media is proud Leftists celebrating the killing of a young dad, husband,\nChristian, and activist for publically encouraging people to debate and to bow\nto the better argument, not the stronger more violent opponent.... I don't know\nanything about the man who pulled the trigger, but I do know that a disturbing\nnumber of people are comfortable putting their face behind a campaign of\nassassination and fear. They're comfortable with it because it's socially\naacceptable to call for violence against **some groups** of people, primarily\nthe one group that is constantly villianized in absolute ignorance - White\nChristian Men... If you don't agree with this then I would say you are blinded...\nChristianity is openly mocked, and you wouldn't notice if you wouldn't\nnotice... whereas other religions are so openly protected it's become comical to me.\nWhen's the last time you felt comfortable making a joke about Islam or Judaism\ncompared to Christianity? Even if you wouldn't joke about any of them, you know\nyou'd be safe to criticize one publically, and the other 2 you'd face\nconsequences for. And these are the things these lunatics celebrate... they\nlove that another White Christian Man was removed from God's green earth...\n\n!!! warning \"These poor people\"\n\n I'm not complaining necessarily about Christianity's lack of priviliege in the public sphere and my heart breaks for people who hate - period.... to hate someone for a difference of worldview or opinion to the point of openly celebrating their death is one of the saddest and most sickening realities I can think of.\n\nWhat can I do after this? Charlie was just a regular guy. It's one thing to\nhave the attempted-assassination of Trump sweapt under the rug, or to brush it\noff as a targeted attack against a powerful man. But Charlie wasn't a\npolitician... he was just a guy with a job, who went around having\nconversations. The violence against the Right is stochastic in nature, but\nincreasingly present as public figures continue to use hitler and nazi-fueled\nlanguage against people they disagree with...\n\nPaired so closely in time with the news of [The slaying of Iryna\nZarutska](https://www.foxnews.com/us/victim-random-train-stabbing-embraced-american-dream-could-have-taken-world-storm-neighbors-say)\nwho was attacked randomly by a man who, all unconfirmed allegations aside, had\nbeen arrested 14 times for violent crimes. And yet, in my country of freedom, a\nviolent criminal was free to murder a refugee fleeing a war-torn region... (if\nyou watched any videos you'll see 4 or 5 people witness the attack, and then do\nnothing as Iryna sorrowfully dies, alone and unaided in a foreign country...\nthe victim of a monster)\n\nCharlie commented on this event, I have the same feelings about the climax I\nthought it led to after years of under-reported race-fueld violence against\nwhite people, and he was called a racist just for noticing patterns...\n\nIf they shot him for saying something about any of his convictions, for\nbelieving he should be allowed to raise his family in safety, to attend church,\nand to openly debate for the sake of the better idea - they'd shoot me\nto... and celebrate.\n\nI take as much comfort as possible, however minimal, knowing that Charlie loved\nJesus, and that his family has the hope of resurrection in the name of Jesus to see\nhim again... But 2 kids lost their dad, and a young woman lost her husband,\nlunatics celebrate, today is just another day, and if someone would come for a\nnormal guy like Charlie, they'd come for you too.\n", "summary": "At some point in the recent history of my country, political tensions began increasing exponentially between our 2 parties, and I had hardly cared until...", "date_published": "2025-09-11T05:34:00Z", "date_modified": "2025-09-11T05:34:00Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "politics", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-on-philippians-2-14-18/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-on-philippians-2-14-18/", "title": "Reflection on Philippians 2:14-18", "content_html": "\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePhilippians 2:15-18\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e14 Do all things without grumbling and disputing, 15 in order that you may\nbecome blameless and innocent, children of God without fault in the midst of a\ncrooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine as stars in the world,\n16 holding fast to the word of life, for a source of pride to me in the day of\nChrist, that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being\npoured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I\nrejoice and rejoice with all of you. 18 And in the same way also you rejoice\nand rejoice with me.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;Do all things without grumbling and disputing\u0026rdquo;\u0026hellip; now, taking verses out of\ncontext is one of my biggest pet-peeves in Christian circles (and non-Christian\nas well I suppose, but when non-believers who read 4 pages of the Bible 20\nyears ago try to tell me what anything means I can kindly ask them to keep\ntheir illiteracy to themselves)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever! With my brothers and sisters, there\u0026rsquo;s no such ask - if we all call on\nJesus then we will edifiy and educate one another on appropriate applications\nof the inspired word of God.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith that said\u0026hellip; dang do I grumble a lot about work\u0026hellip; at least lately. I\nbelieve that nearly everyone I work with knows my worldview, I don\u0026rsquo;t think\nanyone who spends a few days, maybe even hours (by God\u0026rsquo;s grace) will know who I\nserve just by my languge and verbiage. But I\u0026rsquo;m not a prime example of Christian\nliving (yet\u0026hellip; hopefully). I had been \u003ca href=\"/reflecting-on-romans-7-7-13/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Reflecting on Romans 7:7-13\" data-description=\"Romans 7:7–7:13 (ESV): 7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I...\" data-date=\"2025-08-18\" data-preview=\"Romans 7:7–7:13 (ESV): 7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I...\"\u003eReflecting on Romans 7:7-13\u003c/a\u003e for\nseveral days and the \u0026ldquo;sin in me\u0026rdquo; is what I see come out when I let my guard\ndown against letting strife and anger enter my heart.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI read this passage and found myself immediately focused on \u0026ldquo;in the midst of a\ncrooked and perverted generation\u0026rdquo; because our generation is disgusting\u0026hellip; I\nknow immorality and public perverted-ness was present in the before-fore times,\nbut I have to imagine that Paul and the other NT writers couldn\u0026rsquo;t have imagined\nthe \u003ca href=\"/kind/\" class=\"glossary-term\" title=\"kind - kubernetes in docker\" data-hover-title=\"kind\"\u003ekind\u003c/a\u003e of disgusting perverted anti-nature nonsense that is everywhere in our\nsociety. We celebrate sex over everything, and a twisted understanding of sex\nfor that matter\u0026hellip; My daughter\u0026rsquo;s are growing up in a world where I feel the\nneed to practice constant vigilence against the evil forces in the world that\nwould seek to them and twist their understanding of themselves into nothing\nmore than objects of desire and consumption\u0026hellip; And ya know what, that\u0026rsquo;s a\nworthy thing to meditate on and prepare for.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut it\u0026rsquo;s not what my heart needs\u0026hellip; My girls are relatively safe (for the time\nbeing) but everyday I face the sin of my own heart, it\u0026rsquo;s crouching at the door,\nand should not that be my higher concern?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI even notice now in this reflection that my mind is drawn away from myself,\nand it is difficult to follow the Lord in meditation\u0026hellip; perhaps it\u0026rsquo;s too noisey\nbut perhaps I\u0026rsquo;m looking for too much\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis day I choose whom I will serve, and by God\u0026rsquo;s grace it\u0026rsquo;s the King Jesus\u0026hellip;\nHelp my unbelief and still the grumbling in my life.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n!!! note \"Philippians 2:15-18\"\n\n 14 Do all things without grumbling and disputing, 15 in order that you may\n become blameless and innocent, children of God without fault in the midst of a\n crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine as stars in the world,\n 16 holding fast to the word of life, for a source of pride to me in the day of\n Christ, that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being\n poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I\n rejoice and rejoice with all of you. 18 And in the same way also you rejoice\n and rejoice with me. \n\n\"Do all things without grumbling and disputing\"... now, taking verses out of\ncontext is one of my biggest pet-peeves in Christian circles (and non-Christian\nas well I suppose, but when non-believers who read 4 pages of the Bible 20\nyears ago try to tell me what anything means I can kindly ask them to keep\ntheir illiteracy to themselves)\n\nHowever! With my brothers and sisters, there's no such ask - if we all call on\nJesus then we will edifiy and educate one another on appropriate applications\nof the inspired word of God.\n\nWith that said... dang do I grumble a lot about work... at least lately. I\nbelieve that nearly everyone I work with knows my worldview, I don't think\nanyone who spends a few days, maybe even hours (by God's grace) will know who I\nserve just by my languge and verbiage. But I'm not a prime example of Christian\nliving (yet... hopefully). I had been \u003ca href=\"/reflecting-on-romans-7-7-13/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Reflecting on Romans 7:7-13\" data-description=\"Romans 7:7–7:13 (ESV): 7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I...\" data-date=\"2025-08-18\"\u003eReflecting on Romans 7:7-13\u003c/a\u003e for\nseveral days and the \"sin in me\" is what I see come out when I let my guard\ndown against letting strife and anger enter my heart.\n\nI read this passage and found myself immediately focused on \"in the midst of a\ncrooked and perverted generation\" because our generation is disgusting... I\nknow immorality and public perverted-ness was present in the before-fore times,\nbut I have to imagine that Paul and the other NT writers couldn't have imagined\nthe kind of disgusting perverted anti-nature nonsense that is everywhere in our\nsociety. We celebrate sex over everything, and a twisted understanding of sex\nfor that matter... My daughter's are growing up in a world where I feel the\nneed to practice constant vigilence against the evil forces in the world that\nwould seek to them and twist their understanding of themselves into nothing\nmore than objects of desire and consumption... And ya know what, that's a\nworthy thing to meditate on and prepare for.\n\nBut it's not what my heart needs... My girls are relatively safe (for the time\nbeing) but everyday I face the sin of my own heart, it's crouching at the door,\nand should not that be my higher concern?\n\nI even notice now in this reflection that my mind is drawn away from myself,\nand it is difficult to follow the Lord in meditation... perhaps it's too noisey\nbut perhaps I'm looking for too much...\n\nThis day I choose whom I will serve, and by God's grace it's the King Jesus...\nHelp my unbelief and still the grumbling in my life.\n", "summary": "!!! note \"Philippians 2:15-18\"", "date_published": "2025-09-06T07:12:55Z", "date_modified": "2025-09-06T07:12:55Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "reflection", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-morning-august-31-2025/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-morning-august-31-2025/", "title": "Reflection - Morning August 31 2025", "content_html": "\u003ch2 id=\"morning-august-31\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMorning, August 31\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#morning-august-31\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“On mine arm shall they trust.\u0026quot;\n—Isaiah 51:5\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eSpurgeon: Morning and Evening\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn seasons of severe trial, the Christian has nothing on earth that he can\ntrust to, and is therefore compelled to cast himself on his God alone. When his\nvessel is on its beam-ends, and no human deliverance can avail, he must simply\nand entirely trust himself to the providence and care of God. Happy storm that\nwrecks a man on such a rock as this! O blessed hurricane that drives the soul\nto God and God alone! There is no getting at our God sometimes because of the\nmultitude of our friends; but when a man is so poor, so friendless, so helpless\nthat he has nowhere else to turn, he flies into his Father’s arms, and is\nblessedly clasped therein! When he is burdened with troubles so pressing and so\npeculiar, that he cannot tell them to any but his God, he may be thankful for\nthem; for he will learn more of his Lord then than at any other time. Oh,\ntempest-tossed believer, it is a happy trouble that drives thee to thy Father!\nNow that thou hast only thy God to trust to, see that thou puttest thy full\nconfidence in him. Dishonour not thy Lord and Master by unworthy doubts and\nfears; but be strong in faith, giving glory to God. Show the world that thy God\nis worth ten thousand worlds to thee. Show rich men how rich thou art in thy\npoverty when the Lord God is thy helper. Show the strong man how strong thou\nart in thy weakness when underneath thee are the everlasting arms. Now is the\ntime for feats of faith and valiant exploits. Be strong and very courageous,\nand the Lord thy God shall certainly, as surely as he built the heavens and the\nearth, glorify himself in thy weakness, and magnify his might in the midst of\nthy distress. The grandeur of the arch of heaven would be spoiled if the sky\nwere supported by a single visible column, and your faith would lose its glory\nif it rested on anything discernible by the carnal eye. May the Holy Spirit\ngive you to rest in Jesus this closing day of the month.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpurgeon, C. H. (1896). Morning and evening: Daily readings. Passmore \u0026amp; Alabaster.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"reflection\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eReflection\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#reflection\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy God\u0026rsquo;s grace, I was led this morning through my old Logos dashboard to the evening and morning or the morning and reading daily readings from Charles Spurgeon.\nAnd today, August 31, the morning reading is\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eIsaiah 51:5\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;on mine arm, shall they trust.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd it\u0026rsquo;s a short few words, but Spurgeon writes quite a bit about it.\nAnd there\u0026rsquo;s many quotes from this short morning reflection that are very relevant to me in light of my work situation.\nOne of the things there I\u0026rsquo;ve been processing the most is the powerlessness I feel in regards to corporate policy and the control\nthat my employer wants to exercise over my life.\nBut the other side of that coin of control is me and me placing my trust in my employer to provide security for me.\nAnd God has been very good to me and still has given me security outside of my primary job.\nBut I did trust that job.\nAnd it\u0026rsquo;s in the wake of losing it.\nI\u0026rsquo;m not even stretched that thin in losing my job.\nBut in the stretching that is taking place, Spurgeon says some things about God that I should impress into my heart.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOh, blessed hurricane that drives the soul to God and God alone.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShould we not consider trials - Joy?\nI\u0026rsquo;m sure not acting that joyful.\nBut God has been very sweet to me through these reflections, through drawing my eye and soul to him through the lens of trust.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is no getting at our God sometimes because of the multitude of our friends. But when a man is so poor, so friendless, so helpless that he has nowhere else to turn, he flies into his father\u0026rsquo;s arms and is blessedly clasped therein.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpurgeon clearly isn\u0026rsquo;t saying we can\u0026rsquo;t have friends here.\nI think what he is saying is \u0026ldquo;the multitude of our {idols}\u0026rdquo;, really.\nLike Job\u0026rsquo;s friends, maybe, the ones who keep our attention on work and the world and money and my 401k and the future.\nThose things are my \u0026ldquo;\u003cstrong\u003efriends\u003c/strong\u003e\u0026rdquo; because those things give me security.\nAnd maybe I have trusted too much, and now God is drawing me closer to him.\nAnd may I say, blessed be the name of the Lord who gives and takes away.\nO blessed hurricane that drives the soul to God and God alone.\nAmen.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n\n## Morning, August 31\n\n“On mine arm shall they trust.\"\n—Isaiah 51:5\n\n!!! note \"Spurgeon: Morning and Evening\"\n\n In seasons of severe trial, the Christian has nothing on earth that he can\n trust to, and is therefore compelled to cast himself on his God alone. When his\n vessel is on its beam-ends, and no human deliverance can avail, he must simply\n and entirely trust himself to the providence and care of God. Happy storm that\n wrecks a man on such a rock as this! O blessed hurricane that drives the soul\n to God and God alone! There is no getting at our God sometimes because of the\n multitude of our friends; but when a man is so poor, so friendless, so helpless\n that he has nowhere else to turn, he flies into his Father’s arms, and is\n blessedly clasped therein! When he is burdened with troubles so pressing and so\n peculiar, that he cannot tell them to any but his God, he may be thankful for\n them; for he will learn more of his Lord then than at any other time. Oh,\n tempest-tossed believer, it is a happy trouble that drives thee to thy Father!\n Now that thou hast only thy God to trust to, see that thou puttest thy full\n confidence in him. Dishonour not thy Lord and Master by unworthy doubts and\n fears; but be strong in faith, giving glory to God. Show the world that thy God\n is worth ten thousand worlds to thee. Show rich men how rich thou art in thy\n poverty when the Lord God is thy helper. Show the strong man how strong thou\n art in thy weakness when underneath thee are the everlasting arms. Now is the\n time for feats of faith and valiant exploits. Be strong and very courageous,\n and the Lord thy God shall certainly, as surely as he built the heavens and the\n earth, glorify himself in thy weakness, and magnify his might in the midst of\n thy distress. The grandeur of the arch of heaven would be spoiled if the sky\n were supported by a single visible column, and your faith would lose its glory\n if it rested on anything discernible by the carnal eye. May the Holy Spirit\n give you to rest in Jesus this closing day of the month.\n\n Spurgeon, C. H. (1896). Morning and evening: Daily readings. Passmore \u0026 Alabaster.\n\n## Reflection\n\nBy God's grace, I was led this morning through my old Logos dashboard to the evening and morning or the morning and reading daily readings from Charles Spurgeon.\nAnd today, August 31, the morning reading is\n\n!!! note \"Isaiah 51:5\" \n\n \"on mine arm, shall they trust.\n\nAnd it's a short few words, but Spurgeon writes quite a bit about it.\nAnd there's many quotes from this short morning reflection that are very relevant to me in light of my work situation.\nOne of the things there I've been processing the most is the powerlessness I feel in regards to corporate policy and the control\nthat my employer wants to exercise over my life.\nBut the other side of that coin of control is me and me placing my trust in my employer to provide security for me.\nAnd God has been very good to me and still has given me security outside of my primary job.\nBut I did trust that job.\nAnd it's in the wake of losing it.\nI'm not even stretched that thin in losing my job.\nBut in the stretching that is taking place, Spurgeon says some things about God that I should impress into my heart.\n\n\u003e Oh, blessed hurricane that drives the soul to God and God alone.\n\nShould we not consider trials - Joy?\nI'm sure not acting that joyful.\nBut God has been very sweet to me through these reflections, through drawing my eye and soul to him through the lens of trust.\n\n\u003e There is no getting at our God sometimes because of the multitude of our friends. But when a man is so poor, so friendless, so helpless that he has nowhere else to turn, he flies into his father's arms and is blessedly clasped therein.\n\nSpurgeon clearly isn't saying we can't have friends here.\nI think what he is saying is \"the multitude of our {idols}\", really.\nLike Job's friends, maybe, the ones who keep our attention on work and the world and money and my 401k and the future.\nThose things are my \"__friends__\" because those things give me security.\nAnd maybe I have trusted too much, and now God is drawing me closer to him.\nAnd may I say, blessed be the name of the Lord who gives and takes away.\nO blessed hurricane that drives the soul to God and God alone.\nAmen.\n\n", "summary": "“On mine arm shall they trust.\" —Isaiah 51:5", "date_published": "2025-08-31T06:46:06Z", "date_modified": "2025-08-31T06:46:06Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "reflection", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/thoughts-on-august-21-2025/", "url": "https://pype.dev/thoughts-on-august-21-2025/", "title": "Thoughts On August 21 2025", "content_html": "\u003ch1 id=\"intro\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eIntro\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeen struggling more with work - what matters? I can\u0026rsquo;t help but feel like\nnothing\u0026hellip; As a Christian I want to do my work \u0026ldquo;for an audience of 1\u0026rdquo; as the\nsaying goes\u0026hellip; I should do my work with excellence, and I think I have striven\nfor that - it\u0026rsquo;s definitely one reason I have the success and reputation at work\nthat I do have\u0026hellip; but as far as the \u0026ldquo;work\u0026rdquo; goes, does it matter? To the\ncompany, I think the answer is clear - no. They want compliance and submission\nbefore innovation and success. But as a believer, where does my\nloyalty lie?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat I mean is - if I was loyal to a company, then the scenario\nI\u0026rsquo;m in would very understadably lead to what I\u0026rsquo;m currently feeling - remorse,\nregret, embarrasment, and anger. But if I\u0026rsquo;m truly loyal to Yahweh, then\nwouldn\u0026rsquo;t it not matter \u003cem\u003eat all\u003c/em\u003e what the company does? I do my work for Yahweh\nregardless of the company\u0026rsquo;s direction, instruction, or even whether or not they\nbenefit\u0026hellip; That\u0026rsquo;s my struggle - I don\u0026rsquo;t want to give another ounce of energy\ntowards the success of an entity that doesn\u0026rsquo;t give a shit about me, but am I\nviolating my own worldview and disrespecting my God by dragging my feet?\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n# Intro\n\nBeen struggling more with work - what matters? I can't help but feel like\nnothing... As a Christian I want to do my work \"for an audience of 1\" as the\nsaying goes... I should do my work with excellence, and I think I have striven\nfor that - it's definitely one reason I have the success and reputation at work\nthat I do have... but as far as the \"work\" goes, does it matter? To the\ncompany, I think the answer is clear - no. They want compliance and submission\nbefore innovation and success. But as a believer, where does my\nloyalty lie? \n\nWhat I mean is - if I was loyal to a company, then the scenario\nI'm in would very understadably lead to what I'm currently feeling - remorse,\nregret, embarrasment, and anger. But if I'm truly loyal to Yahweh, then\nwouldn't it not matter _at all_ what the company does? I do my work for Yahweh\nregardless of the company's direction, instruction, or even whether or not they\nbenefit... That's my struggle - I don't want to give another ounce of energy\ntowards the success of an entity that doesn't give a shit about me, but am I\nviolating my own worldview and disrespecting my God by dragging my feet?\n", "summary": "Been struggling more with work - what matters? I can't help but feel like nothing... As a Christian I want to do my work \"for an audience of 1\" as the saying...", "date_published": "2025-08-21T06:14:26Z", "date_modified": "2025-08-21T06:14:26Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "reflection", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflecting-on-romans-7-7-13/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflecting-on-romans-7-7-13/", "title": "Reflecting on Romans 7:7-13", "content_html": "\u003ch2 id=\"passage\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003ePassage\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#passage\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRomans 7:7–7:13 (ESV): 7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no\nmeans! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I\nwould not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall\nnot covet.” 8 But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced\nin me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. 9 I was\nonce alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive\nand I died. 10 The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to\nme. 11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and\nthrough it killed me. 12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and\nrighteous and good. 13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no\nmeans! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that\nsin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful\nbeyond measure.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"reflection\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eReflection\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#reflection\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs I was dimwittedly working through 1 John 3 for\n\u003ca href=\"/olivet-mens-group-august-2025/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Olivet Men\u0026#39;s Group August 2025\" data-description=\"1 John 3: 7-10 for men\u0026#39;s group in August 2025\" data-date=\"2025-07-22\" data-preview=\"1 John 3: 7-10 for men\u0026#39;s group in August 2025\"\u003eOlivet Men's Group August 2025\u003c/a\u003e I found myself gravitating towards Romans 7\nand 8 as it brings clarity to John\u0026rsquo;s words about practicing sin vs being a\nchild of God.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"admonition note\" open\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePersonal\u003c/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod\u0026rsquo;s been good to me as I have started trying to be more focused in\ntheological study and reflection\u0026hellip; It has been long enough for my \u0026ldquo;break\u0026rdquo; to\nbe over\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/details\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt goes without saying in Christian circles that Romans is a tough cookie\u0026hellip;\nPaul packs a lot in the letter and although I\u0026rsquo;m focusing right now on 7 verses,\nthe context certainly matters when it comes to deeper study. As for me this\nmorning I believe God\u0026rsquo;s calling me to reverse-sear my conscience in regards to\nsome persistent sins in my life. I write a little note in my notes for the olivet study:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs I write this out, the Christian concept of \u0026ldquo;setting the captives free\u0026rdquo; and\njubilee and freedom strike my heart deeply. Just these phrases begin to call up\nemotions. But as I look at my life right now, what am I doing that shouts\nfreedom? I spend more time lately playing games than being entrenched in\ntheological study, I think about work more than things which are noble and\npraiseworthy, and I seem to purposefully focus on my own situations internally\nrather than on God\u0026rsquo;s grace (which I do externally a lot - but I feel this\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cfooter\u003e— tension inside - \u003cstrong\u003ea hook of doubt\u003c/strong\u003e)\u003c/footer\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese aren\u0026rsquo;t the motifs in the passage, but the conversation around sin in our\nhearts spiderwebs throughout scripture very quickly if the conversation is to\nbe worth anything\u0026hellip; Freedom is core in a Christian worldview, but am I free\nand devoted to Jesus or a morally bankrupt slave to myself?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo far I haven\u0026rsquo;t even touched the passage so let me dive in a bit.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdetails class=\"admonition note\" open\u003e\n\u003csummary class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eNote\u003c/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe rest of this post was dictated and transcribed via a STT utility I have at home. I often do this and rework my thoughts but here it\u0026rsquo;s easier to word vomit the ideas and hope they make sense on the other side. I loosely edited it for readability but for whatever it\u0026rsquo;s worth, this is moreso my thinking voice than my public speaking voice\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/details\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;What then shall we say, that the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law I would not have known sin.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd that feels to me a little bit like Paul saying what I\u0026rsquo;ve heard other Christians today say — something like:\n\u0026ldquo;I didn\u0026rsquo;t struggle with anger until I became a Christian and then it was a struggle!\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo there\u0026rsquo;s that side of it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd then the other side of it is that God has \u0026ldquo;written eternity on our hearts,\u0026rdquo; has He not? And through Common Grace, do we not all understand very common morality?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAside from our worldviews, there are things that we know are wrong. Murdering is simply wrong. Another good example is something like cowardice—or like Paul will go on to say, covetousness.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhether you\u0026rsquo;re a Christian or not, you wouldn\u0026rsquo;t value covetousness or cowardice. Cultures across the world and across history reject these things.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo, through becoming a Christian, the struggle with sin really begins — because it\u0026rsquo;s the understanding not that something is just \u003ca href=\"/kind/\" class=\"glossary-term\" title=\"kind - kubernetes in docker\" data-hover-title=\"kind\"\u003ekind\u003c/a\u003e of morally wrong, but that you\u0026rsquo;re violating the law of the Creator of the universe.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow, we don\u0026rsquo;t want to dive in so deep that we reject the context (of Paul\u0026rsquo;s thoughts in Romans 7:7–13). And so, I don\u0026rsquo;t want to dissect these few verses too much.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd so what\u0026rsquo;s my reflection?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI don\u0026rsquo;t know.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSin is crouching at the door.\nAnd it deceives me.\nSo, through the law, I learn what my sin is—it lets me name my killer.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe law didn\u0026rsquo;t bring death—it brings understanding of death, because it reveals sin, which produces death.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut the part that I\u0026rsquo;m not \u0026ldquo;to\u0026rdquo; in my heart yet is the end of the passage. Verse 13:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;Did that which is good then (the law) bring death to me? By no means! It was sin producing death in me through what is good (the law), in order that sin might be shown to be sin and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd I think that that phrase \u0026ldquo;sinful beyond measure\u0026rdquo; is a reflection of Paul\u0026rsquo;s understanding of sin in his life.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow, I claim I have the same mental understanding\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLater on in Romans 7, Paul talks about his \u0026ldquo;inner man\u0026rdquo; and his mind being a slave to the law of the Spirit, but his body being a slave to sin.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut can I really say that my mind is a slave to the law of the Spirit?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI certainly would make a lot of theological points about it—but is it really?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat\u0026rsquo;s my reflection this morning.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m not as convicted over sin in my life, and so this reverse conscience searing needs to happen.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"another-reflection\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eAnother Reflection\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#another-reflection\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs I come back here for a second day, I believe by the guidance of the Spirit,\nI trust God to encourage and teach me through Paul\u0026rsquo;s words\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHow do I know what is sin (lawlessness) and what is not sin (ie. not lawless, ie. \u003cem\u003elawful\u003c/em\u003e)? It\u0026rsquo;s through the law as noted above.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat to do about this though? One day since some conviction settled into my heart certainly doesn\u0026rsquo;t indicate anything about my life, but what else is relevant to this meditation?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePsalm 1:1-2\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the advice of the wicked; nor does he stand in the way of sinners; nor does he sit in the assembly of mockers. 2 Instead, in the law of Yahweh is his delight, and on his law he meditates day and night.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u0026ldquo;law\u0026rdquo; is \u003cem\u003etorah\u003c/em\u003e\u0026hellip; generally this is referring to a code of holy living.\nTorah isn\u0026rsquo;t \u0026ldquo;the law\u0026rdquo; how we understand the law, it\u0026rsquo;s case-law for holy living.\nTorah describes the flight of an arrow towards its target - it\u0026rsquo;s the direction\nof your life.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo the psalmist says that it\u0026rsquo;s in the constant meditation of God\u0026rsquo;s law (God\u0026rsquo;s direction for holy living) that a man is \u0026ldquo;blessed\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere\u0026rsquo;s many words to use, but this word \u0026ldquo;blessed\u0026rdquo; is a Hebrew word used for when describing the good life of another person\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBlessed is the man who meditates on the law of Yahweh\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe law brings knowledge of sin\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFurthermore, the law causes sin to \u0026ldquo;become sinful beyond measure\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHow? Via the constant meditation of the law of Yahweh - which Psalm 1:3 says\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePsalm 1:3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e3 And so, he is like a tree planted by streams of water that gives its fruit in its season; its leaf also does not wither. Therefore all that he does prospers.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBible stuff is apart of my daily vocabulary with anyone. God\u0026rsquo;s law is in my\nmind, and hopefully my heart, every day. At the same time, the callousness is\npresent. It\u0026rsquo;s Paul\u0026rsquo;s lament about being the chief of sinners, and about the war\nin his members (Romans 7/8)\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe solution is this\u0026hellip; day by day meditation - slightly more focused and\ndirected\u0026hellip; God\u0026rsquo;s blessing is absolutely on my lie - and the word for \u0026ldquo;blessed\u0026rdquo;\nin Psalm 1 referring to \u003cem\u003eothers\u003c/em\u003e describing the life of the blessed man as\nblessed is very true for me - people around me know God\u0026rsquo;s been good to me. So I\nhave every bit of faith that he will continue that goodness, and thankfully\nconviction this morning and week to take small steps towards a more devoted\nlife to the meditation of God\u0026rsquo;s law.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"round-3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eRound 3\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#round-3\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday the Bible Project app brought me to Isaiah 61 which coincides with this\nextended reflection quite well as it\u0026rsquo;s one of the places we get the image and\nphrase of \u0026ldquo;setting the captives free\u0026rdquo; which is a Biblical theme I see Paul\nleaning on at the end of Romans 7.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eIsaiah 61\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 The Spirit of the Lord Yahweh is upon me,\nbecause Yahweh has anointed me, he has sent me to bring good news to the\noppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim release to the captives\nand liberation to those who are bound,\u003cbr\u003e\n2 to proclaim the year of Yahweh’s\nfavor, and our God’s day of vengeance, to comfort all those in mourning,\n3 to give for those in mourning in Zion, to give them a head wrap instead of\nashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, a garment of praise instead of a\nfaint spirit. And they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of\nYahweh, to show his glory.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e4 And they shall build the ancient ruins, they\nshall erect the former deserted places. And they shall restore the devastated\ncities, the deserted places of many generations.\u003cbr\u003e\n5 And strangers shall stand\nand feed your flocks, and foreigners shall be your farmers and vinedressers.\n6 But you shall be called the priests of Yahweh, you will be called servers of\nour God. You shall eat the wealth of the nations, and you shall boast in\ntheir riches.\u003cbr\u003e\n7 Instead of your shame, a double portion, and instead of\ninsult, they will rejoice over their portion. Therefore they will take a\ndouble portion in their land; they shall possess everlasting joy.\u003cbr\u003e\n8 For I, Yahweh, love justice, hate robbery and injustice, and I will\nfaithfully give\ntheir reward, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.\u003cbr\u003e\n9 And their\ndescendants will be known among the nations, and their offspring in the midst\nof the peoples. All those who see them shall recognize them, that they are\ndescendants whom Yahweh has blessed.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e10 I will rejoice greatly in Yahweh; my\nbeing shall shout in exultation in my God. For he has clothed me with garments\nof salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a\nbridegroom adorns himself with a head wrap like a priest, and as a bride\nadorns herself with her jewelry.\n11 For as the earth produces its sprout, and\nas a garden makes its plants sprout, so the Lord Yahweh will make\nrighteousness sprout, and praise before all the nations.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition warning\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eWarning\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis isn\u0026rsquo;t a reflection or study of Isaiah 61 - just a few notes as they pertain to my reflection on Romans 7 and 8 and the posture I have towards sin in my life\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a messianic prophecy delivered to the people of God in captivity to\nspur the remnant of the faithful to continue hoping in the promises of Yahweh.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIsrael was in captivity more or less as discipline for violating God\u0026rsquo;s word\npretty regularly\u0026hellip; Consistent with my reflection so far - has \u0026ldquo;sin become sin\nbeyond measure\u0026rdquo; to me yet? No, just as it wasn\u0026rsquo;t for Israel, and God allowed\nHis people to be enslaved multiple times as they turned to foreign gods\u0026hellip; is\ncallousness to sin any different than turning to a foreign god? No, it\u0026rsquo;s\nexactly what it is.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut thankfully the over-arching story is about Yahweh\u0026rsquo;s faithfulness to His\npeople, and this prophecy is for those who exercise faithfulness to Yahweh\u0026hellip;.\nthat\u0026rsquo;s the crux of my reflection on Romans 7, how can I claim the promises of\nGod if sin is so present in my life? I think the answer is that it\u0026rsquo;s only\nthrough the awakening of the Spirit that I can genuinely question my loyalty to\nYahweh and also acknowledge his loyalty to the Promise He brought me into. By\nGod\u0026rsquo;s grace I\u0026rsquo;m just a guy who the Lord has grace on, and I pray through daily\nmeditation my will becomes so conformed to the will of Jesus that I can\nfaithfully say \u0026ldquo;sin has become beyond sin to me\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePraise God for Paul\u0026rsquo;s words at the end of Romans 7\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eRomans 7:24-25\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"round-4\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eRound 4\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#round-4\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eRomans 7:13\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis morning I don\u0026rsquo;t know if it was another translation or the direct explicit\nwork of the Spirit but I feel like something clicked just a little bit here.\nThe law didn\u0026rsquo;t bring sin (lawlessness), God\u0026rsquo;s law pre-exists Torah (Genesis,\nthe trees), so the law says what is good and bad, and it\u0026rsquo;s the brokenness of\nhumanity (sin) producing death in us/me and the production of death shows sin\nto be what it is - sinful beyond measure\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo as I reflect here on Paul, Romans, and myself - what am I missing or what is\nGod recovering in me? This week has been pretty good concerning the areas of my\nmind and life where I feel callous and hardened. The daily meditation can\u0026rsquo;t NOT\nbe the reason - devotion in the morning, however minimal and before anything else,\nis producing in me the will to do God\u0026rsquo;s good work in my own life. I don\u0026rsquo;t mean\ngiving money and doing charity - but in the privacy of my mind and day, do I\nhonor the Lord with every thought?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe cliche but honest answer is no but I feel God\u0026rsquo;s working in my heart, the\ntug towards Heaven and away from the hellish pit of my own desires\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"round-5\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eRound 5\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#round-5\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVerse 8b \u0026ldquo;For apart from the law, sin lies dead.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis reflection was done audibly and the transcription was modified slightly for this post\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI think there\u0026rsquo;s quite a few interesting perspectives, maybe two that come to mind pretty quickly.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor context, the rest of the verse is\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eRomanas 7:8\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebut sin seizing an opportunity through the commandment produced in me all kinds of covetousness, for apart from the law, sin lies dead.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo the first observation is sin gets its life and its effect (effectual power) through the conduit of the law.\nAnd so the law says don\u0026rsquo;t do X. That means we now have knowledge to not do X.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd then it\u0026rsquo;s like the existence of sin has to be presupposed because it\u0026rsquo;s the very same sin as in Genesis three.\nGod\u0026rsquo;s rule of the land said not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and bad, and sin seizing the opportunity through that commandment produced in Eve all kinds of covetousness.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut it wasn\u0026rsquo;t really \u003cstrong\u003eactually\u003c/strong\u003e the command of God.\nIt was the snake.\nSo in that sense, depending on our interpretation of Genesis 3, which I will forego\u0026hellip;\nThe snake is the embodiment of sin, and so we\u0026rsquo;re not so concerned with the ontological origins of sin, but rather with processing its effect and consequences in our daily life.\nAnd so that first perspective is to say that - for me, by God\u0026rsquo;s grace, I know the law.\nIt means that by God\u0026rsquo;s grace, sin has the opportunity to produce \u003cstrong\u003ethings\u003c/strong\u003e in me, and in that same breath of grace -\nJesus saves me.\nThat\u0026rsquo;s the end of chapter seven.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eRomans 7:24-25\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe other perspective that I have on this right now is not inward looking, and so I don\u0026rsquo;t want to harp on it and meditate much on other people.\nBut Christians certainly have internal (internal to the community of faith) conversations about the morality of non-Christians and what should be expected of non-believers.\nAs far as a moral life is concerned and there\u0026rsquo;s various theological opinions and various worldviews, even within Christianity through which we can filter reality and people\u0026rsquo;s actions and their moralities.\nAnd so in that vein, perhaps something I see here is to read it almost backwards (transposed is a better word),\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esin lies dead apart from the law.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd you think, I think, about our culture\u0026rsquo;s hedonistic posture towards being a slave to our own desires.\nAmerican culture largely celebrates, or Western culture rather, largely celebrates the individual decision to do what the individual wants.\nAnd we live in a culture where to shame others is itself shamed.\nIt is unacceptable to call people to higher standards of living.\nBut why should we (Christians) be surprised and why is this news and why do Christians spend time talking about it?\nI think Paul gives us the answer.\n\u0026ldquo;Apart from the law\u0026rdquo; (and the law is the direction in which we strive for holiness)\nAnd so \u0026ldquo;apart from that, sin lies dead\u0026rdquo; meaning sin doesn\u0026rsquo;t seize an opportunity through any commandment.\nBecause apart from the law sin can\u0026rsquo;t be shown to be sinfulness.\nThat\u0026rsquo;s verse 13.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eRomans 7:13\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no\nmeans! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that\nsin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful\nbeyond measure.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo that last thought, it isn\u0026rsquo;t so much that non-believers don\u0026rsquo;t have the knowledge of good and bad.\nThe Bible says that God has written eternity on our hearts.\nAnd we have moral discussions in the public square all the time, so people\ncertainly are aware of opinions about morality, and it is in the rebellion\nagainst the good and moral positions where I\u0026rsquo;m right now actually finding\nsecurity in \u003cstrong\u003emy\u003c/strong\u003e position as a \u003cstrong\u003echosen child of God\u003c/strong\u003e because honestly, I love debauchery, but (thankfully)\npart of me hates it, and it\u0026rsquo;s that part of me that hates it, that is the Spirit\nin me, that is the grace of the Lord Jesus, saving me from this body of sin and death.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n## Passage\n\nRomans 7:7–7:13 (ESV): 7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no\nmeans! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I\nwould not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall\nnot covet.” 8 But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced\nin me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. 9 I was\nonce alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive\nand I died. 10 The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to\nme. 11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and\nthrough it killed me. 12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and\nrighteous and good. 13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no\nmeans! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that\nsin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful\nbeyond measure. \n\n## Reflection\n\nAs I was dimwittedly working through 1 John 3 for\n\u003ca href=\"/olivet-mens-group-august-2025/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Olivet Men\u0026#39;s Group August 2025\" data-description=\"1 John 3: 7-10 for men\u0026#39;s group in August 2025\" data-date=\"2025-07-22\"\u003eOlivet Men\u0026#39;s Group August 2025\u003c/a\u003e I found myself gravitating towards Romans 7\nand 8 as it brings clarity to John's words about practicing sin vs being a\nchild of God.\n\n???+ note \"Personal\"\n\n God's been good to me as I have started trying to be more focused in\n theological study and reflection... It has been long enough for my \"break\" to\n be over\n\nIt goes without saying in Christian circles that Romans is a tough cookie...\nPaul packs a lot in the letter and although I'm focusing right now on 7 verses,\nthe context certainly matters when it comes to deeper study. As for me this\nmorning I believe God's calling me to reverse-sear my conscience in regards to\nsome persistent sins in my life. I write a little note in my notes for the olivet study:\n\n\u003e As I write this out, the Christian concept of \"setting the captives free\" and\njubilee and freedom strike my heart deeply. Just these phrases begin to call up\nemotions. But as I look at my life right now, what am I doing that shouts\nfreedom? I spend more time lately playing games than being entrenched in\ntheological study, I think about work more than things which are noble and\npraiseworthy, and I seem to purposefully focus on my own situations internally\nrather than on God's grace (which I do externally a lot - but I feel this\ntension inside - __a hook of doubt__)\n\nThese aren't the motifs in the passage, but the conversation around sin in our\nhearts spiderwebs throughout scripture very quickly if the conversation is to\nbe worth anything... Freedom is core in a Christian worldview, but am I free\nand devoted to Jesus or a morally bankrupt slave to myself?\n\nSo far I haven't even touched the passage so let me dive in a bit.\n\n???+ note \"\"\n\n The rest of this post was dictated and transcribed via a STT utility I have at home. I often do this and rework my thoughts but here it's easier to word vomit the ideas and hope they make sense on the other side. I loosely edited it for readability but for whatever it's worth, this is moreso my thinking voice than my public speaking voice\n\n\"What then shall we say, that the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law I would not have known sin.\"\n\nAnd that feels to me a little bit like Paul saying what I've heard other Christians today say — something like:\n\"I didn't struggle with anger until I became a Christian and then it was a struggle!\"\n\nSo there's that side of it.\n\nAnd then the other side of it is that God has \"written eternity on our hearts,\" has He not? And through Common Grace, do we not all understand very common morality?\n\nAside from our worldviews, there are things that we know are wrong. Murdering is simply wrong. Another good example is something like cowardice—or like Paul will go on to say, covetousness.\n\nWhether you're a Christian or not, you wouldn't value covetousness or cowardice. Cultures across the world and across history reject these things.\n\nSo, through becoming a Christian, the struggle with sin really begins — because it's the understanding not that something is just kind of morally wrong, but that you're violating the law of the Creator of the universe.\n\nNow, we don't want to dive in so deep that we reject the context (of Paul's thoughts in Romans 7:7–13). And so, I don't want to dissect these few verses too much.\n\nAnd so what's my reflection?\n\nI don't know.\n\nSin is crouching at the door.\nAnd it deceives me.\nSo, through the law, I learn what my sin is—it lets me name my killer.\n\nThe law didn't bring death—it brings understanding of death, because it reveals sin, which produces death.\n\nBut the part that I'm not \"to\" in my heart yet is the end of the passage. Verse 13:\n\n\"Did that which is good then (the law) bring death to me? By no means! It was sin producing death in me through what is good (the law), in order that sin might be shown to be sin and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.\"\n\nAnd I think that that phrase \"sinful beyond measure\" is a reflection of Paul's understanding of sin in his life.\n\nNow, I claim I have the same mental understanding...\n\nLater on in Romans 7, Paul talks about his \"inner man\" and his mind being a slave to the law of the Spirit, but his body being a slave to sin.\n\nBut can I really say that my mind is a slave to the law of the Spirit?\n\nI certainly would make a lot of theological points about it—but is it really?\n\nThat's my reflection this morning.\n\nI'm not as convicted over sin in my life, and so this reverse conscience searing needs to happen.\n\n---\n\n## Another Reflection\n\nAs I come back here for a second day, I believe by the guidance of the Spirit,\nI trust God to encourage and teach me through Paul's words\n\nHow do I know what is sin (lawlessness) and what is not sin (ie. not lawless, ie. _lawful_)? It's through the law as noted above. \n\nWhat to do about this though? One day since some conviction settled into my heart certainly doesn't indicate anything about my life, but what else is relevant to this meditation?\n\n!!! note \"Psalm 1:1-2\" \n\n 1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the advice of the wicked; nor does he stand in the way of sinners; nor does he sit in the assembly of mockers. 2 Instead, in the law of Yahweh is his delight, and on his law he meditates day and night. \n\nThe \"law\" is _torah_... generally this is referring to a code of holy living.\nTorah isn't \"the law\" how we understand the law, it's case-law for holy living.\nTorah describes the flight of an arrow towards its target - it's the direction\nof your life. \n\nSo the psalmist says that it's in the constant meditation of God's law (God's direction for holy living) that a man is \"blessed\". \n\n\u003e There's many words to use, but this word \"blessed\" is a Hebrew word used for when describing the good life of another person\n\n- Blessed is the man who meditates on the law of Yahweh\n- The law brings knowledge of sin\n- Furthermore, the law causes sin to \"become sinful beyond measure\"\n- How? Via the constant meditation of the law of Yahweh - which Psalm 1:3 says\n\n!!! note \"Psalm 1:3\" \n\n 3 And so, he is like a tree planted by streams of water that gives its fruit in its season; its leaf also does not wither. Therefore all that he does prospers. \n\nBible stuff is apart of my daily vocabulary with anyone. God's law is in my\nmind, and hopefully my heart, every day. At the same time, the callousness is\npresent. It's Paul's lament about being the chief of sinners, and about the war\nin his members (Romans 7/8)... \n\nThe solution is this... day by day meditation - slightly more focused and\ndirected... God's blessing is absolutely on my lie - and the word for \"blessed\"\nin Psalm 1 referring to _others_ describing the life of the blessed man as\nblessed is very true for me - people around me know God's been good to me. So I\nhave every bit of faith that he will continue that goodness, and thankfully\nconviction this morning and week to take small steps towards a more devoted\nlife to the meditation of God's law.\n\n---\n\n## Round 3\n\nToday the Bible Project app brought me to Isaiah 61 which coincides with this\nextended reflection quite well as it's one of the places we get the image and\nphrase of \"setting the captives free\" which is a Biblical theme I see Paul\nleaning on at the end of Romans 7.\n\n!!! note \"Isaiah 61\"\n\n 1 The Spirit of the Lord Yahweh is upon me,\n because Yahweh has anointed me, he has sent me to bring good news to the\n oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim release to the captives\n and liberation to those who are bound, \n 2 to proclaim the year of Yahweh’s\n favor, and our God’s day of vengeance, to comfort all those in mourning,\n 3 to give for those in mourning in Zion, to give them a head wrap instead of\n ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, a garment of praise instead of a\n faint spirit. And they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of\n Yahweh, to show his glory. \n\n 4 And they shall build the ancient ruins, they\n shall erect the former deserted places. And they shall restore the devastated\n cities, the deserted places of many generations. \n 5 And strangers shall stand\n and feed your flocks, and foreigners shall be your farmers and vinedressers.\n 6 But you shall be called the priests of Yahweh, you will be called servers of\n our God. You shall eat the wealth of the nations, and you shall boast in\n their riches. \n 7 Instead of your shame, a double portion, and instead of\n insult, they will rejoice over their portion. Therefore they will take a\n double portion in their land; they shall possess everlasting joy. \n 8 For I, Yahweh, love justice, hate robbery and injustice, and I will\n faithfully give\n their reward, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. \n 9 And their\n descendants will be known among the nations, and their offspring in the midst\n of the peoples. All those who see them shall recognize them, that they are\n descendants whom Yahweh has blessed. \n\n 10 I will rejoice greatly in Yahweh; my\n being shall shout in exultation in my God. For he has clothed me with garments\n of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a\n bridegroom adorns himself with a head wrap like a priest, and as a bride\n adorns herself with her jewelry. \n 11 For as the earth produces its sprout, and\n as a garden makes its plants sprout, so the Lord Yahweh will make\n righteousness sprout, and praise before all the nations. \n\n!!! warning \"\"\n\n This isn't a reflection or study of Isaiah 61 - just a few notes as they pertain to my reflection on Romans 7 and 8 and the posture I have towards sin in my life\n\nThis is a messianic prophecy delivered to the people of God in captivity to\nspur the remnant of the faithful to continue hoping in the promises of Yahweh.\n\nIsrael was in captivity more or less as discipline for violating God's word\npretty regularly... Consistent with my reflection so far - has \"sin become sin\nbeyond measure\" to me yet? No, just as it wasn't for Israel, and God allowed\nHis people to be enslaved multiple times as they turned to foreign gods... is\ncallousness to sin any different than turning to a foreign god? No, it's\nexactly what it is.\n\nBut thankfully the over-arching story is about Yahweh's faithfulness to His\npeople, and this prophecy is for those who exercise faithfulness to Yahweh....\nthat's the crux of my reflection on Romans 7, how can I claim the promises of\nGod if sin is so present in my life? I think the answer is that it's only\nthrough the awakening of the Spirit that I can genuinely question my loyalty to\nYahweh and also acknowledge his loyalty to the Promise He brought me into. By\nGod's grace I'm just a guy who the Lord has grace on, and I pray through daily\nmeditation my will becomes so conformed to the will of Jesus that I can\nfaithfully say \"sin has become beyond sin to me\"\n\nPraise God for Paul's words at the end of Romans 7\n\n!!! note \"Romans 7:24-25\"\n\n 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.\n\n---\n\n## Round 4\n\n!!! note \"Romans 7:13\"\n\n 13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. \n\nThis morning I don't know if it was another translation or the direct explicit\nwork of the Spirit but I feel like something clicked just a little bit here.\nThe law didn't bring sin (lawlessness), God's law pre-exists Torah (Genesis,\nthe trees), so the law says what is good and bad, and it's the brokenness of\nhumanity (sin) producing death in us/me and the production of death shows sin\nto be what it is - sinful beyond measure\n\nSo as I reflect here on Paul, Romans, and myself - what am I missing or what is\nGod recovering in me? This week has been pretty good concerning the areas of my\nmind and life where I feel callous and hardened. The daily meditation can't NOT\nbe the reason - devotion in the morning, however minimal and before anything else,\nis producing in me the will to do God's good work in my own life. I don't mean\ngiving money and doing charity - but in the privacy of my mind and day, do I\nhonor the Lord with every thought?\n\nThe cliche but honest answer is no but I feel God's working in my heart, the\ntug towards Heaven and away from the hellish pit of my own desires\n\n---\n\n## Round 5\n\nVerse 8b \"For apart from the law, sin lies dead.\"\n\n\u003e This reflection was done audibly and the transcription was modified slightly for this post\n\nI think there's quite a few interesting perspectives, maybe two that come to mind pretty quickly.\n\nFor context, the rest of the verse is \n\n!!! note \"Romanas 7:8\"\n\n but sin seizing an opportunity through the commandment produced in me all kinds of covetousness, for apart from the law, sin lies dead.\n\nSo the first observation is sin gets its life and its effect (effectual power) through the conduit of the law.\nAnd so the law says don't do X. That means we now have knowledge to not do X. \n\nAnd then it's like the existence of sin has to be presupposed because it's the very same sin as in Genesis three.\nGod's rule of the land said not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and bad, and sin seizing the opportunity through that commandment produced in Eve all kinds of covetousness.\n\nBut it wasn't really __actually__ the command of God.\nIt was the snake.\nSo in that sense, depending on our interpretation of Genesis 3, which I will forego...\nThe snake is the embodiment of sin, and so we're not so concerned with the ontological origins of sin, but rather with processing its effect and consequences in our daily life.\nAnd so that first perspective is to say that - for me, by God's grace, I know the law.\nIt means that by God's grace, sin has the opportunity to produce __things__ in me, and in that same breath of grace -\nJesus saves me.\nThat's the end of chapter seven.\n\n!!! note \"Romans 7:24-25\"\n\n 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.\n\nThe other perspective that I have on this right now is not inward looking, and so I don't want to harp on it and meditate much on other people.\nBut Christians certainly have internal (internal to the community of faith) conversations about the morality of non-Christians and what should be expected of non-believers.\nAs far as a moral life is concerned and there's various theological opinions and various worldviews, even within Christianity through which we can filter reality and people's actions and their moralities.\nAnd so in that vein, perhaps something I see here is to read it almost backwards (transposed is a better word), \n\n\u003e sin lies dead apart from the law.\n\nAnd you think, I think, about our culture's hedonistic posture towards being a slave to our own desires.\nAmerican culture largely celebrates, or Western culture rather, largely celebrates the individual decision to do what the individual wants.\nAnd we live in a culture where to shame others is itself shamed.\nIt is unacceptable to call people to higher standards of living.\nBut why should we (Christians) be surprised and why is this news and why do Christians spend time talking about it?\nI think Paul gives us the answer.\n\"Apart from the law\" (and the law is the direction in which we strive for holiness)\nAnd so \"apart from that, sin lies dead\" meaning sin doesn't seize an opportunity through any commandment.\nBecause apart from the law sin can't be shown to be sinfulness.\nThat's verse 13.\n\n!!! note \"Romans 7:13\"\n\n 13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no\n means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that\n sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful\n beyond measure.\n\nSo that last thought, it isn't so much that non-believers don't have the knowledge of good and bad.\nThe Bible says that God has written eternity on our hearts.\nAnd we have moral discussions in the public square all the time, so people\ncertainly are aware of opinions about morality, and it is in the rebellion\nagainst the good and moral positions where I'm right now actually finding\nsecurity in **my** position as a __chosen child of God__ because honestly, I love debauchery, but (thankfully)\npart of me hates it, and it's that part of me that hates it, that is the Spirit\nin me, that is the grace of the Lord Jesus, saving me from this body of sin and death.\n\n", "summary": "Romans 7:7–7:13 (ESV): 7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I...", "date_published": "2025-08-18T06:12:13Z", "date_modified": "2025-08-18T06:12:13Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "reflections", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/knowledge-and-faith/", "url": "https://pype.dev/knowledge-and-faith/", "title": "Knowledge and Faith", "content_html": "\u003ch1 id=\"a-question\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eA Question\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat does it mean to be \u0026ldquo;faithful\u0026rdquo;? I wrestle with this question in various\ncontexts pretty regularly - mostly because God has been so ridiculously stupid\ngood to me that I feel compelled to ask daily \u0026ldquo;am I being faithful with the\ngifts God has given me?\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere\u0026rsquo;s a lot of places to go from this starting point, but there\u0026rsquo;s some events\nhappening in my life that are giving me perspective on Jesus\u0026rsquo; faithfulness to\nthe Father\u0026rsquo;s will and what it implies for my own life of faithfulness and\nsteadfastness to the Lord.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"faithfulness\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eFaithfulness\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#faithfulness\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHow do I be more like Jesus (as a human), and how do I more or less copy his\nfaithfulness to God in the wake of trial. I\u0026rsquo;ve certainly given some amount of\nthought to my own ability to be faithful in the worst potential circumstance of\nstraight up physical execution: martyrdom\u0026hellip; In Fox\u0026rsquo;s Book of Martyrs there\u0026rsquo;s\naccounts of Christians through the ages singing hymns while being\nburned alive for their faith\u0026hellip; What leads to that \u003ca href=\"/kind/\" class=\"glossary-term\" title=\"kind - kubernetes in docker\" data-hover-title=\"kind\"\u003ekind\u003c/a\u003e of faithfulness? What\ngave these heros of the faith the peace to face death with a song? Would\nI, today right now, if I was going to be executed for my faith (real reality in\nmany parts of the world) would I sing \u0026ldquo;Amazing Grace\u0026rdquo; while my physical body\nwas tortured to death\u0026hellip; I can\u0026rsquo;t say I know the answer to this, but the\naccounts of these martyrs is at least encouraging that God has developed the\nfaith of others to such a degree that physical torture cannot break them from\ntheir communion with God.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eWhat about NOT death...\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe all face trials of different kinds every day, and in the face of those trials what does faithfulness look like?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"knowledge\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eKnowledge\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#knowledge\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBack to Jesus for a second\u0026hellip; A confession of mine is that I\u0026rsquo;ve lowkey felt\nlike Jesus, as truly human, had a leg up on us when it comes to remaining\nfaithful to the Father\u0026rsquo;s will\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a human he walked through life in deep communion\nwith the Father, and he \u003cem\u003eknows\u003c/em\u003e his place as the Author of creation, the one\nwho holds all things together. So I\u0026rsquo;ve often struggled with the thought \u0026ldquo;of\ncourse Jesus is calm in X or isn\u0026rsquo;t worried about Y\u0026hellip; He knows he\u0026rsquo;s God, he\nknows the plan, and that \u003cem\u003eknowledge\u003c/em\u003e must do something for enabling the kind\nof calm faith we see in the person, in the human, Jesus Christ.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition warning\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eWarning\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus \u003cem\u003eknows\u003c/em\u003e that if he commanded a mountain to cast itself into the sea, that it would\u0026hellip; So did Jesus have \u003cem\u003efaith\u003c/em\u003e or \u003cem\u003eknowledge\u003c/em\u003e?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"almost-there\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eAlmost There\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#almost-there\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI think he had both, and part of living a life of faith is \u003cem\u003eremembering\u003c/em\u003e all the\nthings that are true about Jesus\u0026hellip; If I only say he\u0026rsquo;s faithful and good to me\nbecause the Bible says so, well that\u0026rsquo;s not a lot for me as a real physical\nperson to live my life on\u0026hellip; I live my life based on experience like anyone\nelse, and experience gives anyone a unique kind of knowledge - it\u0026rsquo;s more than\nreading something in a book, when you learn something by living through it the\nmessage is deeply engrained, it passes through your brain and into your\nbeing\u0026hellip; ya know what I\u0026rsquo;m saying? There\u0026rsquo;s things we know and then there\u0026rsquo;s\nthings \u003cem\u003ewe KNOW\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut for this to happen we have to acknowledge God through it\nall\u0026hellip; whatever \u0026ldquo;it all\u0026rdquo; is certainly affects what \u0026ldquo;acknowledge God\u0026rdquo; means, but\nfor Jesus he certainly gave God the Father every ounce of glory and credit\nduring his life, and that acknowledgement I believe is a part of Jesus\u0026rsquo; life of\nFaith\u0026hellip; so too in my life do I try to practice this perspective - giving\nthanks to God for all things given and taken away\u0026hellip; This acknowledgement\npresses the truth about God\u0026rsquo;s goodness and faithfulness to me deeper and deeper\ninto my being. It is Jesus being tender to my heart and shepherding me into\nbeing more like him\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus \u003cem\u003eknew\u003c/em\u003e everything true about his power because of his experience and\nidentity. I would certainly claim to know it as well - but \u003cem\u003emy\u003c/em\u003e knowledge of\nJesus\u0026rsquo; power is not \u003cem\u003ehis\u003c/em\u003e knowledge of his own power. So does any knowledge I\nhave or lack affect the reality of Jesus\u0026rsquo; faithfulness?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition danger\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eno...\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"the-point\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eThe Point\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#the-point\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is finally my point\u0026hellip; I\u0026rsquo;m going through a trial, losing something\nimportant to me that\u0026rsquo;s valuable and a source of provision for my family in many\nways. But at the same time\u0026hellip; God has been so good to me, and I have so much\nexperience and knowledge of that goodness\u0026hellip; I\u0026rsquo;ve been complimented by a few\npeople in this situation about how I\u0026rsquo;m handling it - cause anyone would be\npretty justified in being angry in what I\u0026rsquo;m walking through\u0026hellip; And I\u0026rsquo;m\nstruggling with many emotions:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ebut ultimately\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI know God provides for me\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand losing a massive source of that provision isn\u0026rsquo;t the end of the world because\nnot only do I know that God provides for me, but he already has provided in\nsuch a way that this trial isn\u0026rsquo;t devastating. It\u0026rsquo;s annoying of course, but his\ngoodness to me so outshines the crappiness of this situation that I can\u0026rsquo;t help\nbut overflow with \u0026ldquo;this sucks but God\u0026rsquo;s stil good, and has been and will be\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe thing is that the people around me do not have all the same \u003cem\u003eknowledge\u003c/em\u003e as\nme that I\u0026rsquo;ve gained through \u003cem\u003eexperience\u003c/em\u003e and acknowledgment of God\u0026rsquo;s\ngoodness\u0026hellip; Few people see all the details of how God has and is protecting me\nand my family that to the outsider of my life, witnessing what\u0026rsquo;s happening, I\nmight look like that martyr being burned alive\u0026hellip;. Of course that\u0026rsquo;s a little\nhyperbolic, but I don\u0026rsquo;t know the lives of all those martyrs - God probably\nworked in them for so long and in such deep ways that not only the reality of a\ntrial, but the reality of physical pain, just washes over them\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eThat's how I feel\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emy trial here sucks, I even want to complain about it (and will probably) but ultimately God is so good to me, and I\u0026rsquo;ll make that known to everyone around me.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt might look miraculous to them, and it doesn\u0026rsquo;t mean it\u0026rsquo;s\nnot, because it\u0026rsquo;s God who provided for me in the first place, but my place of\nserenity in the wake of trial comes from Jesus pressing the reality of his\nfaithfulness into my life, and now that I have a backdrop of years of goodness\nfrom him - how can any one silly trial in this life send me anywhere but closer\nto my Heavenly Father as I trust him for provision.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n# A Question\n\nWhat does it mean to be \"faithful\"? I wrestle with this question in various\ncontexts pretty regularly - mostly because God has been so ridiculously stupid\ngood to me that I feel compelled to ask daily \"am I being faithful with the\ngifts God has given me?\"\n\nThere's a lot of places to go from this starting point, but there's some events\nhappening in my life that are giving me perspective on Jesus' faithfulness to\nthe Father's will and what it implies for my own life of faithfulness and\nsteadfastness to the Lord.\n\n## Faithfulness\n\nHow do I be more like Jesus (as a human), and how do I more or less copy his\nfaithfulness to God in the wake of trial. I've certainly given some amount of\nthought to my own ability to be faithful in the worst potential circumstance of\nstraight up physical execution: martyrdom... In Fox's Book of Martyrs there's\naccounts of Christians through the ages singing hymns while being\nburned alive for their faith... What leads to that kind of faithfulness? What\ngave these heros of the faith the peace to face death with a song? Would\nI, today right now, if I was going to be executed for my faith (real reality in\nmany parts of the world) would I sing \"Amazing Grace\" while my physical body\nwas tortured to death... I can't say I know the answer to this, but the\naccounts of these martyrs is at least encouraging that God has developed the\nfaith of others to such a degree that physical torture cannot break them from\ntheir communion with God.\n\n!!! note \"What about NOT death...\"\n \n We all face trials of different kinds every day, and in the face of those trials what does faithfulness look like?\n\n## Knowledge\n\nBack to Jesus for a second... A confession of mine is that I've lowkey felt\nlike Jesus, as truly human, had a leg up on us when it comes to remaining\nfaithful to the Father's will.... \n\nAs a human he walked through life in deep communion\nwith the Father, and he _knows_ his place as the Author of creation, the one\nwho holds all things together. So I've often struggled with the thought \"of\ncourse Jesus is calm in X or isn't worried about Y... He knows he's God, he\nknows the plan, and that _knowledge_ must do something for enabling the kind\nof calm faith we see in the person, in the human, Jesus Christ.\"\n\n!!! warning \"\"\n\n Jesus _knows_ that if he commanded a mountain to cast itself into the sea, that it would... So did Jesus have _faith_ or _knowledge_?\n\n## Almost There\n\nI think he had both, and part of living a life of faith is _remembering_ all the\nthings that are true about Jesus... If I only say he's faithful and good to me\nbecause the Bible says so, well that's not a lot for me as a real physical\nperson to live my life on... I live my life based on experience like anyone\nelse, and experience gives anyone a unique kind of knowledge - it's more than\nreading something in a book, when you learn something by living through it the\nmessage is deeply engrained, it passes through your brain and into your\nbeing... ya know what I'm saying? There's things we know and then there's\nthings _we KNOW_. \n\nBut for this to happen we have to acknowledge God through it\nall... whatever \"it all\" is certainly affects what \"acknowledge God\" means, but\nfor Jesus he certainly gave God the Father every ounce of glory and credit\nduring his life, and that acknowledgement I believe is a part of Jesus' life of\nFaith... so too in my life do I try to practice this perspective - giving\nthanks to God for all things given and taken away... This acknowledgement\npresses the truth about God's goodness and faithfulness to me deeper and deeper\ninto my being. It is Jesus being tender to my heart and shepherding me into\nbeing more like him\n\nJesus _knew_ everything true about his power because of his experience and\nidentity. I would certainly claim to know it as well - but _my_ knowledge of\nJesus' power is not _his_ knowledge of his own power. So does any knowledge I\nhave or lack affect the reality of Jesus' faithfulness?\n\n!!! danger \"no...\"\n\n## The Point\n\nThis is finally my point... I'm going through a trial, losing something\nimportant to me that's valuable and a source of provision for my family in many\nways. But at the same time... God has been so good to me, and I have so much\nexperience and knowledge of that goodness... I've been complimented by a few\npeople in this situation about how I'm handling it - cause anyone would be\npretty justified in being angry in what I'm walking through... And I'm\nstruggling with many emotions:\n\n!!! note \"but ultimately\"\n\n I know God provides for me\n\nand losing a massive source of that provision isn't the end of the world because\nnot only do I know that God provides for me, but he already has provided in\nsuch a way that this trial isn't devastating. It's annoying of course, but his\ngoodness to me so outshines the crappiness of this situation that I can't help\nbut overflow with \"this sucks but God's stil good, and has been and will be\". \n\nThe thing is that the people around me do not have all the same _knowledge_ as\nme that I've gained through _experience_ and acknowledgment of God's\ngoodness... Few people see all the details of how God has and is protecting me\nand my family that to the outsider of my life, witnessing what's happening, I\nmight look like that martyr being burned alive.... Of course that's a little\nhyperbolic, but I don't know the lives of all those martyrs - God probably\nworked in them for so long and in such deep ways that not only the reality of a\ntrial, but the reality of physical pain, just washes over them... \n\n!!! note \"That's how I feel\"\n\n my trial here sucks, I even want to complain about it (and will probably) but ultimately God is so good to me, and I'll make that known to everyone around me. \n\nIt might look miraculous to them, and it doesn't mean it's\nnot, because it's God who provided for me in the first place, but my place of\nserenity in the wake of trial comes from Jesus pressing the reality of his\nfaithfulness into my life, and now that I have a backdrop of years of goodness\nfrom him - how can any one silly trial in this life send me anywhere but closer\nto my Heavenly Father as I trust him for provision.\n\n\n\n", "summary": "What does it mean to be \"faithful\"? I wrestle with this question in various contexts pretty regularly - mostly because God has been so ridiculously stupid...", "date_published": "2025-07-31T05:58:52Z", "date_modified": "2025-07-31T05:58:52Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "reflection", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/god-provides-when-he-takes-away/", "url": "https://pype.dev/god-provides-when-he-takes-away/", "title": "God Provides When He Takes Away", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003eThis post is meant to serve as a reminder that God\u0026rsquo;s provision is about more\nthan the chronology of things happening\u0026hellip; For example he brought me a job when\nI lost my main one - he just brought that to me before I lost it\u0026hellip; the timing\nof that event make it no less significant or caused by God\u0026hellip; He answered the\nprayer I hadn\u0026rsquo;t uttered yet when it comes to providing for my family\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI believe one way God provides in the midst of taking things away is through\nliving a life of daily submission to him. The idea that it goes:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003esomething bad happens\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003epray for protection\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003emaybe something happens and the reality of what happens affects my view of God\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eis silly, selfish, and misguided.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod sometimes provides by gifting you in a way that ends up protecting you\nlater - but to make the claim the gift was honed solely by you, or worse - a\nproduct of yourself, is to make a grave theological error\u0026hellip; God\u0026rsquo;s provision is\na daily journey with him, not a hail mary prayer for a last second safety net\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\nThis post is meant to serve as a reminder that God's provision is about more\nthan the chronology of things happening... For example he brought me a job when\nI lost my main one - he just brought that to me before I lost it... the timing\nof that event make it no less significant or caused by God... He answered the\nprayer I hadn't uttered yet when it comes to providing for my family\n\nI believe one way God provides in the midst of taking things away is through\nliving a life of daily submission to him. The idea that it goes:\n1. something bad happens\n2. pray for protection\n3. maybe something happens and the reality of what happens affects my view of God\n\nis silly, selfish, and misguided.\n\nGod sometimes provides by gifting you in a way that ends up protecting you\nlater - but to make the claim the gift was honed solely by you, or worse - a\nproduct of yourself, is to make a grave theological error... God's provision is\na daily journey with him, not a hail mary prayer for a last second safety net...\n", "summary": "This post is meant to serve as a reminder that God's provision is about more than the chronology of things happening... For example he brought me a job when...", "date_published": "2025-07-25T05:52:37Z", "date_modified": "2025-07-25T05:52:37Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "reflection", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/what-are-the-rewards-in-heaven/", "url": "https://pype.dev/what-are-the-rewards-in-heaven/", "title": "What Are The Rewards In Heaven?", "content_html": "\u003ch1 id=\"intro\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eIntro\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI came across an article on the Bible Project on what it means to \u0026ldquo;store up\ntreasures in Heaven\u0026rdquo; and it brought some clarity to the meaning of this\nteaching for me\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;ve been walking with Jesus for around 2 decades now, and he\u0026rsquo;s taught me a lot\nabout life, love, and grace. I still feel the battle inside myself when faced\nwith a decision where I can act more or less in line with Jesus\u0026rsquo; desire and\nwill or I can make a choice that\u0026rsquo;s about me\u0026hellip; Anytime I\u0026rsquo;m able to choose the\npath I know is his, then praise the Lord and he\u0026rsquo;s been faithful to change me\nmore and more into his image and likeness.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"tldr-the-treasures\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eTLDR - The Treasures\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#tldr-the-treasures\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe article goes on to argue that the rewards we are promised in Heaven, the\nones we are supposed to \u0026ldquo;store up\u0026rdquo;, are the rewards of living like Jesus today.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eNote\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reward becomes greater as our will is forged to align with the Lord. As\nwe grow in holiness, making holy decisions and living a holy life \u003cem\u003ebecomes\u003c/em\u003e the\nreward we store up for heaven\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"reflection\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eReflection\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe idea that the perspective of the rewards change as we change is actually\nnot that ground breaking to me\u0026hellip; Growth leads to perspective changes in other\naspects of life.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSay for my work, as I get more experience and learn what kinds of problems\n\u003cem\u003etend\u003c/em\u003e to arise, I can appreciate troubleshooting tactics I may have not\nconsidered before, approach problems with a different point of view, etc. And\nit\u0026rsquo;s in this growth that I can appreciate things like searching deep in logs\nfor 1 piece of info, or deciding to re-run something that takes hours and\nappreciating that it\u0026rsquo;s the best thing to do when I\u0026rsquo;d rather try to slam changes\nin that \u003cem\u003emight\u003c/em\u003e work or might make it worse\u0026hellip; The growth brings maturity and\ndeeper understanding to the problems.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHow about with children? As they grow and mature they learn more about the\nworld\u0026hellip; They appreciate things they didn\u0026rsquo;t like before - like having been\ndisciplined as a child or being taught a hard lesson that pays off down the\nline. Again, the growth brings a perspective change.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd so as I journey in my faith this quote from the article resonated with me\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eNote\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus’ exhortation to store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven is an invitation to taste, right now, what life will be like in the renewed world later on.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus brought Heaven back to earth, and invites his chosen people to live in Heaven today regardless of where we live on earth.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eNote\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs we mature in the Lord, the things of God become more valuable to us, and these rewards not only become more apparent, but they become easier to appreciate\u0026hellip; ie. we store them up as we experience Heaven on earth\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"link\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eLink\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://bibleproject.com/articles/what-are-rewards-heaven-bible\"\u003elink to article\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n# Intro \n\nI came across an article on the Bible Project on what it means to \"store up\ntreasures in Heaven\" and it brought some clarity to the meaning of this\nteaching for me...\n\nI've been walking with Jesus for around 2 decades now, and he's taught me a lot\nabout life, love, and grace. I still feel the battle inside myself when faced\nwith a decision where I can act more or less in line with Jesus' desire and\nwill or I can make a choice that's about me... Anytime I'm able to choose the\npath I know is his, then praise the Lord and he's been faithful to change me\nmore and more into his image and likeness.\n\n## TLDR - The Treasures\n\nThe article goes on to argue that the rewards we are promised in Heaven, the\nones we are supposed to \"store up\", are the rewards of living like Jesus today.\n\n!!! note \"\"\n The reward becomes greater as our will is forged to align with the Lord. As\n we grow in holiness, making holy decisions and living a holy life _becomes_ the\n reward we store up for heaven\n\n# Reflection\n\nThe idea that the perspective of the rewards change as we change is actually\nnot that ground breaking to me... Growth leads to perspective changes in other\naspects of life.\n\nSay for my work, as I get more experience and learn what kinds of problems\n_tend_ to arise, I can appreciate troubleshooting tactics I may have not\nconsidered before, approach problems with a different point of view, etc. And\nit's in this growth that I can appreciate things like searching deep in logs\nfor 1 piece of info, or deciding to re-run something that takes hours and\nappreciating that it's the best thing to do when I'd rather try to slam changes\nin that _might_ work or might make it worse... The growth brings maturity and\ndeeper understanding to the problems.\n\nHow about with children? As they grow and mature they learn more about the\nworld... They appreciate things they didn't like before - like having been\ndisciplined as a child or being taught a hard lesson that pays off down the\nline. Again, the growth brings a perspective change.\n\nAnd so as I journey in my faith this quote from the article resonated with me\n\n!!! note \"\"\n Jesus’ exhortation to store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven is an invitation to taste, right now, what life will be like in the renewed world later on.\n\nJesus brought Heaven back to earth, and invites his chosen people to live in Heaven today regardless of where we live on earth. \n\n!!! note \"\"\n As we mature in the Lord, the things of God become more valuable to us, and these rewards not only become more apparent, but they become easier to appreciate... ie. we store them up as we experience Heaven on earth\n\n\n# Link\n\n[link to article](https://bibleproject.com/articles/what-are-rewards-heaven-bible)\n", "summary": "I came across an article on the Bible Project on what it means to \"store up treasures in Heaven\" and it brought some clarity to the meaning of this teaching...", "date_published": "2025-06-20T06:23:05Z", "date_modified": "2025-06-20T06:23:05Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "bible-project", "faith", "reflection" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflecting-on-bp-article-on-james-faith-and-works/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflecting-on-bp-article-on-james-faith-and-works/", "title": "Reflecting on BP Article on James - Faith and Works", "content_html": "\u003ch1 id=\"intro\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eIntro\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis started as one of [[my-thoughts]] and got long enough to warrant putting right in the blog\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFaith and works is a common point of conversation for Christians who like\ndebating things, and I\u0026rsquo;m at the point in my life where I\u0026rsquo;m \u003ca href=\"/kind/\" class=\"glossary-term\" title=\"kind - kubernetes in docker\" data-hover-title=\"kind\"\u003ekind\u003c/a\u003e of over the\ndebates and the simplistic thinking\u0026hellip;. but this morning I saw this article and\nwanted to give it a read\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"article\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eArticle\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#article\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://bibleproject.com/articles/what-does-faith-without-works-dead-mean-james-214-26\"\u003eArticle Link\u003c/a\u003e - 11 minute read\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the best pieces from the article is:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition info\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eInfo\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJames illuminates and clarifies our understanding of faith by bypassing\nquestions about whether one has (or does not have) faith and focusing instead\non whether a person’s faith is living or dead.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"reflection\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eReflection\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#reflection\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis snippet isn\u0026rsquo;t incredibly profound on its own, but in my experience it hits hard\nI\u0026rsquo;ve been in many conversations about faith and works - and as I\u0026rsquo;ve written\nabout before in \u003ca href=\"/a-new-perspective-on-being-god-s-child/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"A New Perspective on Being God\u0026#39;s Child\" data-description=\"I was in men\u0026#39;s group the other day, and one of the things that came up almost inevitably is a debate between God\u0026#39;s sovereignty and predestination, and then...\" data-date=\"2025-05-18\" data-preview=\"I was in men\u0026#39;s group the other day, and one of the things that came up almost inevitably is a debate between God\u0026#39;s sovereignty and predestination, and then...\"\u003eA New Perspective on Being God's Child\u003c/a\u003e Christians\ntoday have a deep desire to put things into neat and simple boxes but this is\noften a mistake.\nAnd in the case of faith and works I think it\u0026rsquo;s just as\nprevalent for similar reasons I outlined in that post - a deep \u0026ldquo;need\u0026rdquo; to \u0026ldquo;fully\nunderstand\u0026rdquo; a system we participate in.\nHowever this usually comes lacking the accompanying nuance in understanding\n\u0026ldquo;works\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;works of the law\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;work in order to be saved\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition warning\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eTo be very clear\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Bible is in no way contradictory in its teaching about faith and works\nand salvation regardless of how wrong someone gets it\u0026hellip; at the end of the day\nJesus picks who he picks. This in no way excuses the elect from performing good\nworks, but any good or bad \u0026ldquo;works\u0026rdquo; do nothing to change the reality of\nsalvation - the works merely reveal the truth\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI don\u0026rsquo;t see tension in faith and works - James\u0026rsquo; statement \u0026ldquo;faith without works\nis dead\u0026rdquo; is so simple to me\u0026hellip;\nJesus changes my life every day, and every day I make decisions based on that\nreality.\nIf I only talked about my faith, and never made a decision where I\nprioritized my faith over what I wanted - then do I really believe?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition danger\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eThe answer is simple\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOf course not.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n# Intro\n\n\u003e This started as one of [[my-thoughts]] and got long enough to warrant putting right in the blog\n\nFaith and works is a common point of conversation for Christians who like\ndebating things, and I'm at the point in my life where I'm kind of over the\ndebates and the simplistic thinking.... but this morning I saw this article and\nwanted to give it a read\n\n## Article\n\n[Article Link](https://bibleproject.com/articles/what-does-faith-without-works-dead-mean-james-214-26) - 11 minute read\n\nOne of the best pieces from the article is:\n\n!!! info \"\"\n James illuminates and clarifies our understanding of faith by bypassing\n questions about whether one has (or does not have) faith and focusing instead\n on whether a person’s faith is living or dead.\n\n## Reflection\n\nThis snippet isn't incredibly profound on its own, but in my experience it hits hard\nI've been in many conversations about faith and works - and as I've written\nabout before in \u003ca href=\"/a-new-perspective-on-being-god-s-child/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"A New Perspective on Being God\u0026#39;s Child\" data-description=\"I was in men\u0026#39;s group the other day, and one of the things that came up almost inevitably is a debate between God\u0026#39;s sovereignty and predestination, and then...\" data-date=\"2025-05-18\"\u003eA New Perspective on Being God\u0026#39;s Child\u003c/a\u003e Christians\ntoday have a deep desire to put things into neat and simple boxes but this is\noften a mistake. \nAnd in the case of faith and works I think it's just as\nprevalent for similar reasons I outlined in that post - a deep \"need\" to \"fully\nunderstand\" a system we participate in. \nHowever this usually comes lacking the accompanying nuance in understanding\n\"works\" and \"works of the law\" and \"work in order to be saved\".\n\n!!! warning \"To be very clear\"\n The Bible is in no way contradictory in its teaching about faith and works\n and salvation regardless of how wrong someone gets it... at the end of the day\n Jesus picks who he picks. This in no way excuses the elect from performing good\n works, but any good or bad \"works\" do nothing to change the reality of\n salvation - the works merely reveal the truth\n\nI don't see tension in faith and works - James' statement \"faith without works\nis dead\" is so simple to me...\nJesus changes my life every day, and every day I make decisions based on that\nreality. \nIf I only talked about my faith, and never made a decision where I\nprioritized my faith over what I wanted - then do I really believe? \n\n!!! danger \"The answer is simple\"\n Of course not.\n\n\n", "summary": "This started as one of my-thoughts and got long enough to warrant putting right in the blog", "date_published": "2025-06-18T06:00:15Z", "date_modified": "2025-06-18T06:00:15Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "bible-project", "faith", "reflection" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/thoughts-687/", "url": "https://pype.dev/thoughts-687/", "title": "💭 The Meaning of “Mammon” in the Bible | Matthew 6:24", "content_html": "\u003ca href=\"https://bibleproject.com/videos/vocab-insight-mammon-wealth\"\u003e\n \u003cimg\n src=\"https://shots.wayl.one/shot/?url=https://bibleproject.com/videos/vocab-insight-mammon-wealth\u0026height=450\u0026width=800\u0026scaled_width=800\u0026scaled_height=450\u0026selectors=\"\n alt=\"shot of post - The Meaning of “Mammon” in the Bible | Matthew 6:24\"\n height=450\n width=800\n \u003e\n\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere\u0026rsquo;s my thought on \u003ca href=\"https://bibleproject.com/videos/vocab-insight-mammon-wealth\"\u003eThe Meaning of “Mammon” in the Bible | Matthew 6:24\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI spend a fair amount of time thinking about the future, planning and saving, making sure to the best of my ability and capability right now, that my family is financially taken care of for my whole life and beyond.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s a challenging thing to wrestle with building wealth while understanding Jesus\u0026rsquo; call to live a life focused on others and Heaven. He certainly never says having wealth is bad or sinful, but the point in this short 1 minute video on mammon was good for me be encouraged by. Mammon (or stuff, possessions, etc) has the tendency to lead people astray into trusting in it\u0026hellip; how many times to people straight up freak out when the stock market dips?\nBut using mammon to care for others is one of the points of Christian living. God has been good to me, and as we seek to be good to others I pray we (my family and I) are bringing glory to his name and not doing anything for our own vanity\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eNote\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is one of [[ my-thoughts ]]. I picked this up from \u003ca href=\"https://waylonwalker.com\"\u003eWaylon Walker\u003c/a\u003e(\u003ca href=\"https://thoughts.waylonwalker.com\"\u003ehttps://thoughts.waylonwalker.com\u003c/a\u003e). It\u0026rsquo;s a short note that I make about someone else\u0026rsquo;s content online. Learn more about the process \u003ca href=\"/thoughts/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Thoughts\" data-description=\"My thoughts are found at my thoughts feed\" data-date=\"2025-06-09\" data-preview=\"My thoughts are found at my thoughts feed\"\u003eThoughts\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n\u003ca href=\"https://bibleproject.com/videos/vocab-insight-mammon-wealth\"\u003e\n \u003cimg\n src=\"https://shots.wayl.one/shot/?url=https://bibleproject.com/videos/vocab-insight-mammon-wealth\u0026height=450\u0026width=800\u0026scaled_width=800\u0026scaled_height=450\u0026selectors=\"\n alt=\"shot of post - The Meaning of “Mammon” in the Bible | Matthew 6:24\"\n height=450\n width=800\n \u003e\n\u003c/a\u003e\n\nHere's my thought on \u003ca href=\"https://bibleproject.com/videos/vocab-insight-mammon-wealth\"\u003eThe Meaning of “Mammon” in the Bible | Matthew 6:24\u003c/a\u003e\n\n---\n\nI spend a fair amount of time thinking about the future, planning and saving, making sure to the best of my ability and capability right now, that my family is financially taken care of for my whole life and beyond.\nIt's a challenging thing to wrestle with building wealth while understanding Jesus' call to live a life focused on others and Heaven. He certainly never says having wealth is bad or sinful, but the point in this short 1 minute video on mammon was good for me be encouraged by. Mammon (or stuff, possessions, etc) has the tendency to lead people astray into trusting in it... how many times to people straight up freak out when the stock market dips?\nBut using mammon to care for others is one of the points of Christian living. God has been good to me, and as we seek to be good to others I pray we (my family and I) are bringing glory to his name and not doing anything for our own vanity\n\n---\n\n!!! note\n This is one of [[ my-thoughts ]]. I picked this up from [Waylon Walker](https://waylonwalker.com)(https://thoughts.waylonwalker.com). It's a short note that I make about someone else's content online. Learn more about the process \u003ca href=\"/thoughts/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Thoughts\" data-description=\"My thoughts are found at my thoughts feed\" data-date=\"2025-06-09\"\u003eThoughts\u003c/a\u003e\n", "summary": "I spend a fair amount of time thinking about the future, planning and saving, making sure to the best of my ability and", "date_published": "2025-06-12T11:03:13Z", "date_modified": "2025-06-12T11:03:13Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "wealth", "faith", "bible-project", "thoughts" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/thoughts-686/", "url": "https://pype.dev/thoughts-686/", "title": "💭 N.T. Wright on The Unseen Realm \u0026 Heiser - YouTube", "content_html": "\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StRxlVhjH_0\"\u003e\n \u003cimg\n src=\"https://shots.wayl.one/shot/?url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StRxlVhjH_0\u0026height=450\u0026width=800\u0026scaled_width=800\u0026scaled_height=450\u0026selectors=\"\n alt=\"shot of post - N.T. Wright on The Unseen Realm \u0026 Heiser - YouTube\"\n height=450\n width=800\n \u003e\n\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere\u0026rsquo;s my thought on \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StRxlVhjH_0\"\u003eN.T. Wright on The Unseen Realm \u0026amp; Heiser - YouTube\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI don\u0026rsquo;t write enough short thoughts on theology stuff, I\u0026rsquo;m usually trying to have some longer thought to unpack or to summarize a longer teaching. I came across this video this morning after a Bible Project video - I love Michael Heiser, he\u0026rsquo;s given me such a strong framework for understanding the Bible, and now to see an example of NT Wright talking about him and some of those ideas is really exciting. Wright nails it around 9 minutes in - that the primary point of the supremacy of Jesus, and his victory over the ruling powers from Deut 32, is a great short truth that more Christians needs to learn\u0026hellip; Jesus doesn\u0026rsquo;t magically your life better, he invites you to submit to his authority rather than the authority of the present ruling forces, and yes this does make your life better but only if you are truly submissive to him can you understand \u0026ldquo;better\u0026rdquo; appropriately.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eNote\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is one of [[ my-thoughts ]]. I picked this up from \u003ca href=\"https://waylonwalker.com\"\u003eWaylon Walker\u003c/a\u003e(\u003ca href=\"https://thoughts.waylonwalker.com\"\u003ehttps://thoughts.waylonwalker.com\u003c/a\u003e). It\u0026rsquo;s a short note that I make about someone else\u0026rsquo;s content online. Learn more about the process \u003ca href=\"/thoughts/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Thoughts\" data-description=\"My thoughts are found at my thoughts feed\" data-date=\"2025-06-09\" data-preview=\"My thoughts are found at my thoughts feed\"\u003eThoughts\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StRxlVhjH_0\"\u003e\n \u003cimg\n src=\"https://shots.wayl.one/shot/?url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StRxlVhjH_0\u0026height=450\u0026width=800\u0026scaled_width=800\u0026scaled_height=450\u0026selectors=\"\n alt=\"shot of post - N.T. Wright on The Unseen Realm \u0026 Heiser - YouTube\"\n height=450\n width=800\n \u003e\n\u003c/a\u003e\n\nHere's my thought on \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StRxlVhjH_0\"\u003eN.T. Wright on The Unseen Realm \u0026 Heiser - YouTube\u003c/a\u003e\n\n---\n\nI don't write enough short thoughts on theology stuff, I'm usually trying to have some longer thought to unpack or to summarize a longer teaching. I came across this video this morning after a Bible Project video - I love Michael Heiser, he's given me such a strong framework for understanding the Bible, and now to see an example of NT Wright talking about him and some of those ideas is really exciting. Wright nails it around 9 minutes in - that the primary point of the supremacy of Jesus, and his victory over the ruling powers from Deut 32, is a great short truth that more Christians needs to learn... Jesus doesn't magically your life better, he invites you to submit to his authority rather than the authority of the present ruling forces, and yes this does make your life better but only if you are truly submissive to him can you understand \"better\" appropriately.\n\n---\n\n!!! note\n This is one of [[ my-thoughts ]]. I picked this up from [Waylon Walker](https://waylonwalker.com)(https://thoughts.waylonwalker.com). It's a short note that I make about someone else's content online. Learn more about the process \u003ca href=\"/thoughts/\" class=\"wikilink\" data-title=\"Thoughts\" data-description=\"My thoughts are found at my thoughts feed\" data-date=\"2025-06-09\"\u003eThoughts\u003c/a\u003e\n", "summary": "I don't write enough short thoughts on theology stuff, I'm usually trying to have some longer thought to unpack or to su", "date_published": "2025-06-12T10:59:29Z", "date_modified": "2025-06-12T10:59:29Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "faith", "heiser", "nt-wright", "divine-council", "thoughts" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/a-new-perspective-on-being-god-s-child/", "url": "https://pype.dev/a-new-perspective-on-being-god-s-child/", "title": "A New Perspective on Being God’s Child", "content_html": "\u003ch2 id=\"intro\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eIntro\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#intro\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI was in men\u0026rsquo;s group the other day, and one of the things that came up almost inevitably\nis a debate between God\u0026rsquo;s sovereignty and predestination, and then an idea of free will.\nI have been a part of these conversations for years - I\u0026rsquo;ve been in hundreds of them certainly,\nand they all go in a very similar direction. Almost irrespective of the theological prowess\nor training of the group of people I\u0026rsquo;m in the unspoken goal always is the same\u0026hellip;\n\u003cstrong\u003eto find a hard and fast line between the 2 things or to find some comfortable verbiage for the tension\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"my-anecdotal-experience-with-other-believers\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMy Anecdotal Experience With Other Believers\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#my-anecdotal-experience-with-other-believers\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePeople with no real theological background have very simple ideas and\nunderstandings of free will and God\u0026rsquo;s sovereignty.\nThey typically equate God\u0026rsquo;s sovereignty with \u0026ldquo;He willed everything to be, and so you don\u0026rsquo;t\nactually have any real choices.\u0026rdquo;\nThen they think that because God has ultimate sovereignty, but they have free will, they\ncan somehow contradict God\u0026rsquo;s will, but then they don\u0026rsquo;t understand that that is a violation\nof the doctrine of God\u0026rsquo;s sovereignty.\nSo those conversations are typically hard to sit through, and my historical thought\non that, ever since I believe I\u0026rsquo;ve come to a pretty mature position on the matter,\nhas been that in the Hebrew mind, these things aren\u0026rsquo;t at odds, and we create the division with our\nWestern ideals on what it means to make choices, and what it means to be free.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"freedom\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eFreedom\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#freedom\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a quick parenthetical remark on that - freedom is not doing whatever you want.\nTrue freedom is living in accordance with your creation, bound by the things that create\norder, because it is within those boundaries that you were designed to live -\nand thus the life you live within the boundaries is the best the life could\nbe\u0026hellip; Freedom isn\u0026rsquo;t the ultimate goal, it\u0026rsquo;s a byproduct of living in accordance\nwith our design.\nWhen you break those boundaries though - then life is scary, and you are not\nfree but rather a slave to the environment you made for yourself - an\nenvironment not designed for you because you designed it for yourself, it isn\u0026rsquo;t\nwhat the Maker made for you\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"freedom-child-s-play\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eFreedom - Child’s Play\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#freedom-child-s-play\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn easy example is kids on a playground.\nIf you give a bunch of little kids a playground with nice high fences, and you tell them to\ndo whatever they want in the playground, they\u0026rsquo;ll have a great time.\nBut if you take all the fences away from that playground, maybe even move it\nout further away from the school, kids tend to feel a lot less safe.\nBecause now, not only can they just wander as far away from it as they please, perhaps\nby accident, but dangers can now enter their playground\u0026hellip; The fences gave them\nthe freedom to enjoy the life appropriate for them.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"back-to-the-debate\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eBack To the Debate\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#back-to-the-debate\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReturning to the sovereignty and free will discussion\u0026hellip;\nWith no academic, theological, or honestly even critical thinking\napplied, we have this very silly juxtaposition of sovereignty - as if it means\nyou can\u0026rsquo;t make choices - and free will as if God\u0026rsquo;s sovereignty could be usurped\nby us.\nHowever, in groups where we have more theological training present, we really just have the\nsame (directionally speaking - the same) conversation, with a larger vocabulary.\nNow we have words like \u0026ldquo;agency\u0026rdquo;, and \u0026ldquo;scope of choice\u0026rdquo;, things that \u003ca href=\"/kind/\" class=\"glossary-term\" title=\"kind - kubernetes in docker\" data-hover-title=\"kind\"\u003ekind\u003c/a\u003e of seek to explain\naway the tension by introducing new dimension or element of abstraction to the argument.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the end of the day, we\u0026rsquo;re now just cutting the cake into smaller pieces.\nWe\u0026rsquo;re just filling in some of the gaps that we can see.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s still nuance.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s still the Western influence of needing to label everything.\nThere\u0026rsquo;s still, in my opinion, the ancient truth that in the Hebrew mind, Yahweh\u0026rsquo;s sovereignty\nand the human\u0026rsquo;s choice to live their life are not at odds with each other.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"a-new-perspective\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eA New Perspective\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#a-new-perspective\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut here\u0026rsquo;s a thought I started to formulate just recently\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ea recent thought\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven for a PhD in theological studies or in theology or an expert in church history or\nchurch fathers or whatever - for somebody \u003cem\u003etoday\u003c/em\u003e to think that we can define these terms\nin a totally correct and understandable way is another manifestation of the\n\u003cstrong\u003ePEAK ARROGANCE\u003c/strong\u003e of the West (Blog on Western v Eastern medicine in the works)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI don\u0026rsquo;t mean to claim here that I have the \u003cem\u003eright\u003c/em\u003e understanding of sovereignty and free will.\nBut Paul has some choice words for believers who love quarreling and debates, and he calls\nthem spiritual children who aren\u0026rsquo;t ready for real food.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e2 Timothy 2:23-24\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e23 But reject foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they breed quarrels.\n24 The Lord\u0026rsquo;s slave must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach, and patient,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e1 Corinthians 3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1For my part, brothers and sisters, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual\npeople but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ.a 2I gave you milk to\ndrink, not solid food, since you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are\nstill not ready, 3because you are still worldly. For since there is envya and\nstrifea b among you, are you not worldly and behaving like mere humans? 4For\nwhenever someone says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,”a\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition warning\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eIt's you\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;ve often heard the Corinthian church used as an example of a bad place to\nbe - and no doubt it was. But modern American Christianity may be much closer\nto Corinth than Thessolinca as far as maturity and Christ-like living goes.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe says things like \u0026ldquo;I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, since you were\nnot yet ready for it\u0026rdquo;\nI used to think that the \u0026ldquo;real food\u0026rdquo; was these theological debates, that you learn\nmore about the Bible, you learn more about humanity, and then you can have these more\nin-depth conversations.\nBut I think the real wisdom is easly seen with a metaphor\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"who-s-the-child-here\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eWho’s the child here?\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#who-s-the-child-here\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have two daughters in different developmental stages, and so we have 3 characters\u0026hellip;\nThere\u0026rsquo;s my young daughter, my older daughter, and me.\nRight away, I think we often talk about knowing God in this kind of a term where,\nyou know, I\u0026rsquo;m his child and I have children.\nSo there\u0026rsquo;s a parent-child relationship.\nAnd then in the God-human relationship, I understand my position better now as a parent\nof real children, of humans, which helps me understand my position as a child of God.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e!!! failure \u0026quot;\u0026quot;\nI don\u0026rsquo;t think we take that very seriously.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition success\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eSuccess\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI think use this more as comforting language rather than a humbling truth - \u003cstrong\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m a child of God\u003c/strong\u003e\nBut really, I think the TLDR is that even the most highly trained theological individual - that person is not a grown-up in the eyes of God.\nHe or she is still a child, and our understanding is still limited to what a child can understand.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLet\u0026rsquo;s continue with the metaphor\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou could ask either one of my daughters if they know me, and of course they would both\nsay yes, and they know me to different degrees.\nPerhaps because the older one knows more about me - does that mean that she knows me better than the younger?\nI think it would be silly to say yes.\nBoth of my kids know me to the fullest capacity that they can know me.\nSo what about love?\nDo they both love me?\nAnd do I love them?\nOf course.\nAnd do I show my love to both of them in the same ways?\nOf course not.\nNot only are they unique, but they\u0026rsquo;re at different stages in life\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor example - I don\u0026rsquo;t exercise the same amount of discipline towards my\nyoungest because she\u0026rsquo;s not ready for it - it\u0026rsquo;s not reasonable to expect the\nsame things of her as our older daughter.\nSpeaking of her - she absolutely is ready for some more discipline and for some\nhigher expectations, and so I will train her up in the ways that she is mature\nenough to understand.\nNow, does that mean I love my younger daughter less, or does it mean I love my older daughter\nmore?\nNo.\nIt means I\u0026rsquo;m loving them in a way that is appropriate for where they are at\ndevelopmentally, for their better good.\nSo that they grow up to be ordered, to be competent, to be self-controlled, and\nto not grow up to be wild adults with no regard for boundaries and rules.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo to be specific about the metaphor and the example I just laid out: I don\u0026rsquo;t want my children\nto ever hurt or suffer, but I also know that suffering is required for learning and for them to grow to be mature individuals.\nI know how to control some of the inevitable suffering a child must endure, especially if it\u0026rsquo;s in the form of discipline, for my children so they are safe, protected, loved, but also corrected and molded into competent human beings.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"the-kicker\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eThe Kicker\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#the-kicker\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow would it be appropriate for my older daughter (who understands that suffering is required\nfor learning) would it be appropriate for her to look at my younger daughter and tell\nher, \u0026ldquo;dad wants you to suffer\u0026rdquo;?\nThat\u0026rsquo;s tough, isn\u0026rsquo;t it\u0026hellip;\nBecause she\u0026rsquo;s not really lying, but more importantly she\u0026rsquo;s also not telling anything close to the whole\ntruth and she is also not talking to somebody who is capable of understanding the nuances\nof that truth.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the eyes of God, I\u0026rsquo;m still a five-year-old.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd for me as a five-year-old boy in the eyes of the Lord, to try and explain things that\nI think I understand or that I understand to the best capability that a five-year-old can -\nIf I go try to teach a three-year-old things about God in ways that they can\u0026rsquo;t understand,\nI am not loving that other person and I\u0026rsquo;m not even loving God very well.\nI\u0026rsquo;m just stuck in my own arrogance of understanding, thinking that I now get it because I\u0026rsquo;ve come\nto my own realization.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI recognize there\u0026rsquo;s a little irony now in writing this post because I\u0026rsquo;m\nsaying I think I kind of understand that I don\u0026rsquo;t/can\u0026rsquo;t understand the sovereignty\nand free will relationship. I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t say I can explain that away, but I\nthink I understand who I am better in the eyes of the Lord and what I could\nreasonably expect to understand from an academic standpoint.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"so-what\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eSo What?\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#so-what\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe lesson for me, and for my community of faith - is to calm down about the\ndebates\u0026hellip;. They\u0026rsquo;re fun over a drink and cigars, but when boots are on the\nground we need to remember that the Bible has information that we need to know,\nit doesn\u0026rsquo;t have all the information that we want to know - and the American\nChurch must drop its arrogant need to explain away every mystery and instead\nhold fast to the God of those mysteries.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n## Intro\n\nI was in men's group the other day, and one of the things that came up almost inevitably\nis a debate between God's sovereignty and predestination, and then an idea of free will.\nI have been a part of these conversations for years - I've been in hundreds of them certainly,\nand they all go in a very similar direction. Almost irrespective of the theological prowess\nor training of the group of people I'm in the unspoken goal always is the same... \n**to find a hard and fast line between the 2 things or to find some comfortable verbiage for the tension**\n\n## My Anecdotal Experience With Other Believers\n\nPeople with no real theological background have very simple ideas and\nunderstandings of free will and God's sovereignty.\nThey typically equate God's sovereignty with \"He willed everything to be, and so you don't\nactually have any real choices.\"\nThen they think that because God has ultimate sovereignty, but they have free will, they\ncan somehow contradict God's will, but then they don't understand that that is a violation\nof the doctrine of God's sovereignty.\nSo those conversations are typically hard to sit through, and my historical thought\non that, ever since I believe I've come to a pretty mature position on the matter,\nhas been that in the Hebrew mind, these things aren't at odds, and we create the division with our\nWestern ideals on what it means to make choices, and what it means to be free.\n\n### Freedom\n\nAs a quick parenthetical remark on that - freedom is not doing whatever you want.\nTrue freedom is living in accordance with your creation, bound by the things that create\norder, because it is within those boundaries that you were designed to live -\nand thus the life you live within the boundaries is the best the life could\nbe... Freedom isn't the ultimate goal, it's a byproduct of living in accordance\nwith our design.\nWhen you break those boundaries though - then life is scary, and you are not\nfree but rather a slave to the environment you made for yourself - an\nenvironment not designed for you because you designed it for yourself, it isn't\nwhat the Maker made for you\n\n### Freedom - Child's Play\n\nAn easy example is kids on a playground.\nIf you give a bunch of little kids a playground with nice high fences, and you tell them to\ndo whatever they want in the playground, they'll have a great time.\nBut if you take all the fences away from that playground, maybe even move it\nout further away from the school, kids tend to feel a lot less safe.\nBecause now, not only can they just wander as far away from it as they please, perhaps\nby accident, but dangers can now enter their playground... The fences gave them\nthe freedom to enjoy the life appropriate for them.\n\n## Back To the Debate\n\nReturning to the sovereignty and free will discussion... \nWith no academic, theological, or honestly even critical thinking\napplied, we have this very silly juxtaposition of sovereignty - as if it means\nyou can't make choices - and free will as if God's sovereignty could be usurped\nby us.\nHowever, in groups where we have more theological training present, we really just have the\nsame (directionally speaking - the same) conversation, with a larger vocabulary.\nNow we have words like \"agency\", and \"scope of choice\", things that kind of seek to explain\naway the tension by introducing new dimension or element of abstraction to the argument.\n\nAt the end of the day, we're now just cutting the cake into smaller pieces.\nWe're just filling in some of the gaps that we can see.\nThere's still nuance.\nThere's still the Western influence of needing to label everything.\nThere's still, in my opinion, the ancient truth that in the Hebrew mind, Yahweh's sovereignty\nand the human's choice to live their life are not at odds with each other.\n\n## A New Perspective\n\nBut here's a thought I started to formulate just recently...\n\n!!! note a recent thought\n Even for a PhD in theological studies or in theology or an expert in church history or\n church fathers or whatever - for somebody _today_ to think that we can define these terms \n in a totally correct and understandable way is another manifestation of the\n __PEAK ARROGANCE__ of the West (Blog on Western v Eastern medicine in the works)\n\nI don't mean to claim here that I have the _right_ understanding of sovereignty and free will.\nBut Paul has some choice words for believers who love quarreling and debates, and he calls\nthem spiritual children who aren't ready for real food.\n\n!!! quote 2 Timothy 2:23-24\n\n 23 But reject foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they breed quarrels.\n 24 The Lord's slave must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach, and patient,\n\n!!! quote 1 Corinthians 3\n 1For my part, brothers and sisters, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual\n people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ.a 2I gave you milk to\n drink, not solid food, since you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are\n still not ready, 3because you are still worldly. For since there is envya and\n strifea b among you, are you not worldly and behaving like mere humans? 4For\n whenever someone says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,”a\n\n!!! warning It's you\n I've often heard the Corinthian church used as an example of a bad place to\n be - and no doubt it was. But modern American Christianity may be much closer\n to Corinth than Thessolinca as far as maturity and Christ-like living goes.\n\nHe says things like \"I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, since you were\nnot yet ready for it\"\nI used to think that the \"real food\" was these theological debates, that you learn\nmore about the Bible, you learn more about humanity, and then you can have these more\nin-depth conversations.\nBut I think the real wisdom is easly seen with a metaphor\n\n### Who's the child here?\n\nI have two daughters in different developmental stages, and so we have 3 characters...\nThere's my young daughter, my older daughter, and me.\nRight away, I think we often talk about knowing God in this kind of a term where,\nyou know, I'm his child and I have children.\nSo there's a parent-child relationship.\nAnd then in the God-human relationship, I understand my position better now as a parent\nof real children, of humans, which helps me understand my position as a child of God.\n\n!!! failure \"\"\n I don't think we take that very seriously.\n\n!!! success \"\"\n I think use this more as comforting language rather than a humbling truth - __I'm a child of God__\n But really, I think the TLDR is that even the most highly trained theological individual - that person is not a grown-up in the eyes of God.\n He or she is still a child, and our understanding is still limited to what a child can understand.\n\nLet's continue with the metaphor...\n\nYou could ask either one of my daughters if they know me, and of course they would both\nsay yes, and they know me to different degrees.\nPerhaps because the older one knows more about me - does that mean that she knows me better than the younger?\nI think it would be silly to say yes.\nBoth of my kids know me to the fullest capacity that they can know me.\nSo what about love?\nDo they both love me?\nAnd do I love them?\nOf course.\nAnd do I show my love to both of them in the same ways?\nOf course not.\nNot only are they unique, but they're at different stages in life... \n\nFor example - I don't exercise the same amount of discipline towards my\nyoungest because she's not ready for it - it's not reasonable to expect the\nsame things of her as our older daughter.\nSpeaking of her - she absolutely is ready for some more discipline and for some\nhigher expectations, and so I will train her up in the ways that she is mature\nenough to understand.\nNow, does that mean I love my younger daughter less, or does it mean I love my older daughter\nmore?\nNo.\nIt means I'm loving them in a way that is appropriate for where they are at\ndevelopmentally, for their better good.\nSo that they grow up to be ordered, to be competent, to be self-controlled, and\nto not grow up to be wild adults with no regard for boundaries and rules.\n\nSo to be specific about the metaphor and the example I just laid out: I don't want my children\nto ever hurt or suffer, but I also know that suffering is required for learning and for them to grow to be mature individuals.\nI know how to control some of the inevitable suffering a child must endure, especially if it's in the form of discipline, for my children so they are safe, protected, loved, but also corrected and molded into competent human beings.\n\n### The Kicker\n\nNow would it be appropriate for my older daughter (who understands that suffering is required\nfor learning) would it be appropriate for her to look at my younger daughter and tell\nher, \"dad wants you to suffer\"?\nThat's tough, isn't it...\nBecause she's not really lying, but more importantly she's also not telling anything close to the whole\ntruth and she is also not talking to somebody who is capable of understanding the nuances\nof that truth.\n\nIn the eyes of God, I'm still a five-year-old.\n\nAnd for me as a five-year-old boy in the eyes of the Lord, to try and explain things that\nI think I understand or that I understand to the best capability that a five-year-old can -\nIf I go try to teach a three-year-old things about God in ways that they can't understand,\nI am not loving that other person and I'm not even loving God very well.\nI'm just stuck in my own arrogance of understanding, thinking that I now get it because I've come\nto my own realization.\n\n\u003e I recognize there's a little irony now in writing this post because I'm\n\u003e saying I think I kind of understand that I don't/can't understand the sovereignty\n\u003e and free will relationship. I wouldn't say I can explain that away, but I\n\u003e think I understand who I am better in the eyes of the Lord and what I could\n\u003e reasonably expect to understand from an academic standpoint.\n\n## So What?\n\nThe lesson for me, and for my community of faith - is to calm down about the\ndebates.... They're fun over a drink and cigars, but when boots are on the\nground we need to remember that the Bible has information that we need to know,\nit doesn't have all the information that we want to know - and the American\nChurch must drop its arrogant need to explain away every mystery and instead\nhold fast to the God of those mysteries.\n", "summary": "I was in men's group the other day, and one of the things that came up almost inevitably is a debate between God's sovereignty and predestination, and then...", "date_published": "2025-05-18T07:15:06Z", "date_modified": "2025-05-18T07:15:06Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "faith", "reflection", "free-will", "sovereignty" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/the-design-of-genesis-1-11/", "url": "https://pype.dev/the-design-of-genesis-1-11/", "title": "The Design of Genesis 1-11 pt 1", "content_html": "\u003ch2 id=\"genesis-1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eGenesis 1\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#genesis-1\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is a cyclical pattern of Genesis 1-11.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIntroduction 1:1 may be a summary heading rather than the first \u0026ldquo;verse\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"chaos\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChaos\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chaos\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe narrative begins in 1:2, and the start of everything is a \u0026ldquo;non-created\nworld\u0026rdquo;, which in the ancient mind we should think about as \u0026ldquo;non-ordered\nreality\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003e\nGenesis 1:2 (LEB): 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, and darkness was\nover the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface\nof the waters. \n\nHarris, W. H., III, Ritzema, E., Brannan, R., Mangum, D., Dunham, J., Reimer,\nJ. A., \u0026amp; Wierenga, M., eds. (2012). The Lexham English Bible (Ge 1:2). Lexham\nPress. \n\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eתֹּ֫הוּ | to-hu | formless בֹּ֫הוּ | ba-hu | empty, void\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first image is that there is \u0026ldquo;unordered wild and waste (wasteland)\u0026rdquo; (we\ntypically see this as formless and void). There is also \u0026ldquo;darkness\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;deep\u0026rdquo;,\nwhich is a dark chaotic ocean - and this is the ANE person\u0026rsquo;s conception of\n\u0026ldquo;nothing\u0026rdquo;. Westerners think \u0026ldquo;nothing\u0026rdquo; means \u0026ldquo;no atmoic particles, no matter\u0026rdquo;\nbut the ANE person would\u0026rsquo;ve thought about creation as unordered chaos.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod\u0026rsquo;s spirit is hovering over the dark, formless, wild, chaotic ocean.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"day-1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDay 1\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#day-1\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003e\n“Let there be light!” And there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it\nwas good, and God caused there to be a separation between the light and between\nthe darkness. 5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.\nAnd there was evening and there was morning, the first day. \n\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCreation starts by separating light from darkness. The darkness is now tamed,\nit is apart of an ordered cycle. The ordering of the days is now established\nand is repeated in every subsequent day of creation\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"day-2\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDay 2\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#day-2\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003e\n“Let there be a vaulted dome in the midst of the waters, and let it cause a\nseparation between the waters.” 7 So God made the vaulted dome, and he caused a\nseparation between the waters which were under the vaulted dome and between the\nwaters which were over the vaulted dome. And it was so. 8 And God called the\nvaulted dome “heaven.” \n\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen on day 2 he separates \u0026ldquo;waters from the waters\u0026rdquo;. God \u0026ldquo;splits\u0026rdquo; (Exodus) the\nwaters, brining order to the chaotic waters.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"day-3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDay 3\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#day-3\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003e\n“Let the waters under heaven be gathered to one place, and let the dry\nground appear.”\n\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe waters below are gathered together - so there is further order being\nbrought to the waters.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003e\n“Let the earth produce green plants that will bear seed—fruit trees bearing\nfruit ⌊in which there is seed⌋—according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was\nso. 12 And the earth brought forth green plants bearing seed according to its\nkind, and trees bearing fruit ⌊in which there was seed⌋ according to its kind.\n\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003ch4 id=\"bonus\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eBonus\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#bonus\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFruit trees (foreshadowing) are then brought up from the lands\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNotice that there are things even in the first 3 days that will be apart of\nthe narrative going forward\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo in the first 3 days God has handled the unordered wild and waste\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat this cosmos needs now is inhabitants\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"day-4\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDay 4\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#day-4\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003e\n“Let there be lights in the vaulted dome of heaven ⌊to separate day from\nnight⌋, and let them be as signs and for appointed times, and for days and\nyears, \n\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u0026ldquo;lights\u0026rdquo; are clearly the sun, moon, and stars. But they are not called by\nthose names, they are just called \u0026ldquo;lights\u0026rdquo;. Which is the descriptive word מָאוֹר\n| ma-or, used to describe the light from the lamp stands in the temple, which\nwas also a symbol of God\u0026rsquo;s presence.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNotice this is \u003cstrong\u003enot\u003c/strong\u003e the same word for \u0026ldquo;light\u0026rdquo; in the separation of light\nand darkness, that is אוֹר | or, not ma-or\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003e\nPsalm 90:8 (LEB): 8 You have put our iniquities before you, our hidden\nsins into the light (מָאוֹר | ma-or) of your countenance. \n\nHarris, W. H., III, Ritzema, E., Brannan, R., Mangum, D., Dunham, J., Reimer,\nJ. A., \u0026amp; Wierenga, M., eds. (2012). The Lexham English Bible (Ps 90:8). Lexham\nPress. \n\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003e\nExodus 35:14 (LEB): 14 and lampstand of the light (מָאוֹר | ma-or) and its\nequipment and its lamps and the oil for the light (מָאוֹר | ma-or); \n\nHarris, W. H., III, Ritzema, E., Brannan, R., Mangum, D., Dunham, J., Reimer,\nJ. A., \u0026amp; Wierenga, M., eds. (2012). The Lexham English Bible (Ex 35:14). Lexham\nPress. \n\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003e\nGenesis 1:16 (LEB): 16 And God made two great lights, the greater light to\nrule the day and the smaller light to rule the night, and the stars. \n\nHarris, W. H., III, Ritzema, E., Brannan, R., Mangum, D., Dunham, J., Reimer,\nJ. A., \u0026amp; Wierenga, M., eds. (2012). The Lexham English Bible (Ge 1:16). Lexham\nPress. \n\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese lights have a job to rule\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNotice the callback to day 1 - light and darkness were initially separated,\nand now there is further order brought to both the light (sun) and the dark\n(stars and moon)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"day-5\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDay 5\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#day-5\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003e\nGenesis 1:20–21 (LEB): 20 And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms\nof living creatures, and let birds fly over the earth across the face of the\nvaulted dome of heaven.” 21 So God created the great sea creatures and every\nliving creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their\nkind, and every bird with wings according to its kind. And God saw that it was\ngood. \n\nHarris, W. H., III, Ritzema, E., Brannan, R., Mangum, D., Dunham, J., Reimer,\nJ. A., \u0026amp; Wierenga, M., eds. (2012). The Lexham English Bible (Ge 1:20–21).\nLexham Press. \n\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDay 2 was about the waters, they were separated from above and below, and now\nin Day 5, above and below, will be populated, will be ordered.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGreat Sea Creatures - תַּנִּין | tan-nin is a rabbit-hole for another time, but\nit\u0026rsquo;s not insignificant\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"day-6\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDay 6\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#day-6\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003e\n“Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kind: cattle\nand moving things, and wild animals according to their kind.” And it was so.\n25 So God made wild animals according to their kind and the cattle according to\ntheir kind, and every creeping thing of the earth according to its kind.\n\nHarris, W. H., III, Ritzema, E., Brannan, R., Mangum, D., Dunham, J., Reimer,\nJ. A., \u0026amp; Wierenga, M., eds. (2012). The Lexham English Bible (Ge 1:24–25).\nLexham Press. \n\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn Day 6 the land, which was brought up on Day 3, is now populated with animals\naccording to their kinds, again further order\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 id=\"bonus-1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eBonus\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#bonus-1\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ccode\u003e“Let us make humankind in our image and according to our likeness\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJust as fruit-trees were brought up, specifically with seed in them, now we\nhave humanity, given a job to rule the earth, subdue it, and multiply\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHumanity are the rulers below (Day 4 with the rulers of the sky)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ccode\u003eSo God created humankind in his image\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHumanity are God\u0026rsquo;s idols\u0026hellip; Where do you put idols? In a temple\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHumans are made to rule - God makes humans kings and queens\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"summary\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eSummary\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#summary\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod has just built for himself a temple of Creation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"day-7\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDay 7\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#day-7\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod is clearly in charge, but he wants to rule the creation with his image\nbearers. So now he rests\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"genesis-3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eGenesis 3\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#genesis-3\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe one thing, the first thing, that a creature in the narrative sees as \u0026ldquo;good\u0026rdquo;\nis the one thing God said would bring death\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;So when the woman saw that the tree [of knowledge of good and bad] was\ngood\u0026hellip;\u0026rdquo;. God said to eat from every tree except this one\u0026hellip; The first\njudgement call humanity makes is contrary to God\u0026rsquo;s command\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n## Genesis 1\n\nThere is a cyclical pattern of Genesis 1-11.\n\nIntroduction 1:1 may be a summary heading rather than the first \"verse\".\n\n### Chaos\n\nThe narrative begins in 1:2, and the start of everything is a \"non-created\nworld\", which in the ancient mind we should think about as \"non-ordered\nreality\".\n\n```\n\nGenesis 1:2 (LEB): 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, and darkness was\nover the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface\nof the waters. \n\nHarris, W. H., III, Ritzema, E., Brannan, R., Mangum, D., Dunham, J., Reimer,\nJ. A., \u0026 Wierenga, M., eds. (2012). The Lexham English Bible (Ge 1:2). Lexham\nPress. \n\n```\n\nתֹּ֫הוּ | to-hu | formless בֹּ֫הוּ | ba-hu | empty, void\n \nThe first image is that there is \"unordered wild and waste (wasteland)\" (we\ntypically see this as formless and void). There is also \"darkness\" and \"deep\",\nwhich is a dark chaotic ocean - and this is the ANE person's conception of\n\"nothing\". Westerners think \"nothing\" means \"no atmoic particles, no matter\"\nbut the ANE person would've thought about creation as unordered chaos.\n\nGod's spirit is hovering over the dark, formless, wild, chaotic ocean.\n\n### Day 1\n\n``` \n\n“Let there be light!” And there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it\nwas good, and God caused there to be a separation between the light and between\nthe darkness. 5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.\nAnd there was evening and there was morning, the first day. \n\n```\n\nCreation starts by separating light from darkness. The darkness is now tamed,\nit is apart of an ordered cycle. The ordering of the days is now established\nand is repeated in every subsequent day of creation\n\n### Day 2\n\n``` \n\n“Let there be a vaulted dome in the midst of the waters, and let it cause a\nseparation between the waters.” 7 So God made the vaulted dome, and he caused a\nseparation between the waters which were under the vaulted dome and between the\nwaters which were over the vaulted dome. And it was so. 8 And God called the\nvaulted dome “heaven.” \n\n```\n\nThen on day 2 he separates \"waters from the waters\". God \"splits\" (Exodus) the\nwaters, brining order to the chaotic waters.\n\n### Day 3\n\n``` \n\n“Let the waters under heaven be gathered to one place, and let the dry\nground appear.”\n\n```\n\n\nThe waters below are gathered together - so there is further order being\nbrought to the waters.\n\n``` \n\n“Let the earth produce green plants that will bear seed—fruit trees bearing\nfruit ⌊in which there is seed⌋—according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was\nso. 12 And the earth brought forth green plants bearing seed according to its\nkind, and trees bearing fruit ⌊in which there was seed⌋ according to its kind.\n\n```\n\n#### Bonus\n\nFruit trees (foreshadowing) are then brought up from the lands\n\n\u003e Notice that there are things even in the first 3 days that will be apart of\n\u003e the narrative going forward\n\n---\n\nSo in the first 3 days God has handled the unordered wild and waste\n\nWhat this cosmos needs now is inhabitants \n\n---\n\n### Day 4\n\n``` \n\n“Let there be lights in the vaulted dome of heaven ⌊to separate day from\nnight⌋, and let them be as signs and for appointed times, and for days and\nyears, \n\n```\n\nThe \"lights\" are clearly the sun, moon, and stars. But they are not called by\nthose names, they are just called \"lights\". Which is the descriptive word מָאוֹר\n| ma-or, used to describe the light from the lamp stands in the temple, which\nwas also a symbol of God's presence.\n\n\u003e Notice this is __not__ the same word for \"light\" in the separation of light\n\u003e and darkness, that is אוֹר | or, not ma-or\n\n``` \n\nPsalm 90:8 (LEB): 8 You have put our iniquities before you, our hidden\nsins into the light (מָאוֹר | ma-or) of your countenance. \n\nHarris, W. H., III, Ritzema, E., Brannan, R., Mangum, D., Dunham, J., Reimer,\nJ. A., \u0026 Wierenga, M., eds. (2012). The Lexham English Bible (Ps 90:8). Lexham\nPress. \n\n```\n\n``` \n\nExodus 35:14 (LEB): 14 and lampstand of the light (מָאוֹר | ma-or) and its\nequipment and its lamps and the oil for the light (מָאוֹר | ma-or); \n\nHarris, W. H., III, Ritzema, E., Brannan, R., Mangum, D., Dunham, J., Reimer,\nJ. A., \u0026 Wierenga, M., eds. (2012). The Lexham English Bible (Ex 35:14). Lexham\nPress. \n\n```\n\n``` \n\nGenesis 1:16 (LEB): 16 And God made two great lights, the greater light to\nrule the day and the smaller light to rule the night, and the stars. \n\nHarris, W. H., III, Ritzema, E., Brannan, R., Mangum, D., Dunham, J., Reimer,\nJ. A., \u0026 Wierenga, M., eds. (2012). The Lexham English Bible (Ge 1:16). Lexham\nPress. \n\n```\n\nThese lights have a job to rule\n\n\u003e Notice the callback to day 1 - light and darkness were initially separated,\n\u003e and now there is further order brought to both the light (sun) and the dark\n\u003e (stars and moon)\n\n### Day 5\n\n``` \n\nGenesis 1:20–21 (LEB): 20 And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms\nof living creatures, and let birds fly over the earth across the face of the\nvaulted dome of heaven.” 21 So God created the great sea creatures and every\nliving creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their\nkind, and every bird with wings according to its kind. And God saw that it was\ngood. \n\nHarris, W. H., III, Ritzema, E., Brannan, R., Mangum, D., Dunham, J., Reimer,\nJ. A., \u0026 Wierenga, M., eds. (2012). The Lexham English Bible (Ge 1:20–21).\nLexham Press. \n\n```\n\n\nDay 2 was about the waters, they were separated from above and below, and now\nin Day 5, above and below, will be populated, will be ordered.\n\n\u003e Great Sea Creatures - תַּנִּין | tan-nin is a rabbit-hole for another time, but\n\u003e it's not insignificant\n\n\n### Day 6\n\n``` \n\n“Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kind: cattle\nand moving things, and wild animals according to their kind.” And it was so.\n25 So God made wild animals according to their kind and the cattle according to\ntheir kind, and every creeping thing of the earth according to its kind.\n\nHarris, W. H., III, Ritzema, E., Brannan, R., Mangum, D., Dunham, J., Reimer,\nJ. A., \u0026 Wierenga, M., eds. (2012). The Lexham English Bible (Ge 1:24–25).\nLexham Press. \n\n```\n\nOn Day 6 the land, which was brought up on Day 3, is now populated with animals\naccording to their kinds, again further order\n\n#### Bonus\n\n``` “Let us make humankind in our image and according to our likeness ```\n\nJust as fruit-trees were brought up, specifically with seed in them, now we\nhave humanity, given a job to rule the earth, subdue it, and multiply\n\nHumanity are the rulers below (Day 4 with the rulers of the sky)\n\n`So God created humankind in his image`\n\nHumanity are God's idols... Where do you put idols? In a temple...\n\nHumans are made to rule - God makes humans kings and queens\n\n### Summary\n\nGod has just built for himself a temple of Creation.\n\n### Day 7\n\nGod is clearly in charge, but he wants to rule the creation with his image\nbearers. So now he rests\n\n## Genesis 3\n\nThe one thing, the first thing, that a creature in the narrative sees as \"good\"\nis the one thing God said would bring death...\n\n\"So when the woman saw that the tree [of knowledge of good and bad] was\ngood...\". God said to eat from every tree except this one... The first\njudgement call humanity makes is contrary to God's command\n\n\n", "summary": "There is a cyclical pattern of Genesis 1-11.", "date_published": "2025-01-18T04:54:03Z", "date_modified": "2025-01-18T04:54:03Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "bible-project", "faith", "design-of-genesis-1-11" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/the-flood-story-types-and-baptism/", "url": "https://pype.dev/the-flood-story-types-and-baptism/", "title": "The Flood Story - Types and Baptism", "content_html": "\u003ch1 id=\"the-flood-story-and-jesus\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eThe Flood Story and Jesus\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus brings up the Flood story from Genesis just one time (in the recorded teachings we have).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst to set the scene, Jesus and his disciples are visiting the temple, and the disiples are \u003ca href=\"/kind/\" class=\"glossary-term\" title=\"kind - kubernetes in docker\" data-hover-title=\"kind\"\u003ekind\u003c/a\u003e of \u0026ldquo;ooo-ing\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;aaah-ing\u0026rdquo; when Jesus tells them about about the coming destruction\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003eMatthew 24:1–2 (ESV): 24 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his\ndisciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 But he\nanswered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will\nnot be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” \n\nThe Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Mt 24:1–2). (2016). Crossway Bibles.\n\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003eMatthew 24:37–39 (ESV): 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming\nof the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating\nand drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered\nthe ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away,\nso will be the coming of the Son of Man. \n\nThe Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Mt 24:37–39). (2016). Crossway Bibles.\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt one point in Jesus\u0026rsquo; description of the destruction of the temple in\nJerusalem, he brings up the Son of Man and Noah\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus says that the \u0026ldquo;coming of the Son of Man\u0026rdquo; will be like when Noah built the\nark, and no one understood until the flood (κατακλυσμός | kataklysmos) came and\ntook them away.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn Jesus\u0026rsquo; mind the flood narrative gives him imagery and vocabulary to talk\nabout when God allows foreign powers to come and bring judgement\u0026hellip; This isn\u0026rsquo;t\nan interpretation of the flood narrative, but it clues us into the idea that\nthe Hebrew bible is full of imagery, like a quilt, that follows a (or several)\npattern(s).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003eJesus understood the flood story as a pattern - a theological category to talk\nabout God overthrowing the corrupt power systems of our world - Tim Mackie\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI think sometimes we look at the flood and think God is so bad for taking out\nall of humanity, but we miss the point\u0026hellip; God is RESTORING humanity by\nremoving corruption\u0026hellip; that\u0026rsquo;s eventually the story we\u0026rsquo;re invited into via\nfaith in Jesus\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"types\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eTypes\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#types\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA \u003ccode\u003etype\u003c/code\u003e is a category of prophecy, and an \u003ccode\u003eantitype\u003c/code\u003e is the revelation of the type.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEssentially - a \u003ccode\u003etype\u003c/code\u003e is a pattern, and the \u003ccode\u003eantytype\u003c/code\u003e is the revelation of\nthe meaning of the pattern - and without understanding the preceding types (in\nthis case, the flood) then the antitype cannot be understood (in this case\nbaptism)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ea trivial example of how a type, or a pattern, can be noticed and even build\nanticipation is to think 2, 4, 6, 8\u0026hellip; what comes next? 10, and we all know\nthat immediately. Types in general, and types in the Bible are no different,\nalbeit not so simple\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"flood-and-baptism\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eFlood and Baptism\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#flood-and-baptism\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrace yourself\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003e1 Peter 3:18–22 (ESV): 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous\nfor the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the\nflesh but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the\nspirits in prison, 20 because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience\nwaited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few,\nthat is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21 Baptism, which\ncorresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but\nas an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus\nChrist, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with\nangels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. \n\nThe Holy Bible: English Standard Version (1 Pe 3:18–22). (2016). Crossway\nBibles.\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNotice verse 21 - \u0026ldquo;Baptism, which \u003cstrong\u003ecorresponds\u003c/strong\u003e to this\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCorresponds is the word ἀντίτυπος (antitupos) in Greek, which means \u0026ldquo;anti-type\u0026rdquo;\nThis means clearly that the \u003ccode\u003etype\u003c/code\u003e, or \u003cem\u003ea\u003c/em\u003e type, for baptism, is the flood\nnarrative\u0026hellip; or that baptism is the antitype for the flood\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat does this mean for baptism?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003e21 Baptism, which\ncorresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but\nas an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus\nChrist, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with\nangels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough baptism, we experience with Jesus, resurrection and rule of the angels,\nauthorities, and power of the world\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"take-away\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eTake Away\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#take-away\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the disciples listening\u0026hellip; are they arguing about when the flood happened?\nor if it was a global or local flood?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo\u0026hellip; they are listening to Jesus unpack patterns in the Bible and they hear\nhim invite them, through a story they know very well, into rule and reign with\nhim\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n# The Flood Story and Jesus\n\nJesus brings up the Flood story from Genesis just one time (in the recorded teachings we have).\n\nFirst to set the scene, Jesus and his disciples are visiting the temple, and the disiples are kind of \"ooo-ing\" and \"aaah-ing\" when Jesus tells them about about the coming destruction...\n\n```\nMatthew 24:1–2 (ESV): 24 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his\ndisciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 But he\nanswered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will\nnot be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” \n\nThe Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Mt 24:1–2). (2016). Crossway Bibles.\n\n```\n\n```\nMatthew 24:37–39 (ESV): 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming\nof the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating\nand drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered\nthe ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away,\nso will be the coming of the Son of Man. \n\nThe Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Mt 24:37–39). (2016). Crossway Bibles.\n```\n\nAt one point in Jesus' description of the destruction of the temple in\nJerusalem, he brings up the Son of Man and Noah...\n\nJesus says that the \"coming of the Son of Man\" will be like when Noah built the\nark, and no one understood until the flood (κατακλυσμός | kataklysmos) came and\ntook them away.\n\nIn Jesus' mind the flood narrative gives him imagery and vocabulary to talk\nabout when God allows foreign powers to come and bring judgement... This isn't\nan interpretation of the flood narrative, but it clues us into the idea that\nthe Hebrew bible is full of imagery, like a quilt, that follows a (or several)\npattern(s). \n\n```\nJesus understood the flood story as a pattern - a theological category to talk\nabout God overthrowing the corrupt power systems of our world - Tim Mackie\n```\n\n\u003e I think sometimes we look at the flood and think God is so bad for taking out\n\u003e all of humanity, but we miss the point... God is RESTORING humanity by\n\u003e removing corruption... that's eventually the story we're invited into via\n\u003e faith in Jesus\n\n## Types\n\n\nA `type` is a category of prophecy, and an `antitype` is the revelation of the type.\n\nEssentially - a `type` is a pattern, and the `antytype` is the revelation of\nthe meaning of the pattern - and without understanding the preceding types (in\nthis case, the flood) then the antitype cannot be understood (in this case\nbaptism)\n\n\u003e a trivial example of how a type, or a pattern, can be noticed and even build\n\u003e anticipation is to think 2, 4, 6, 8... what comes next? 10, and we all know\n\u003e that immediately. Types in general, and types in the Bible are no different,\n\u003e albeit not so simple...\n\n## Flood and Baptism\n\nBrace yourself...\n\n```\n1 Peter 3:18–22 (ESV): 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous\nfor the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the\nflesh but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the\nspirits in prison, 20 because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience\nwaited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few,\nthat is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21 Baptism, which\ncorresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but\nas an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus\nChrist, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with\nangels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. \n\nThe Holy Bible: English Standard Version (1 Pe 3:18–22). (2016). Crossway\nBibles.\n```\n\nNotice verse 21 - \"Baptism, which __corresponds__ to this\"\n\nCorresponds is the word ἀντίτυπος (antitupos) in Greek, which means \"anti-type\"\nThis means clearly that the `type`, or _a_ type, for baptism, is the flood\nnarrative... or that baptism is the antitype for the flood\n\nWhat does this mean for baptism? \n\n```\n21 Baptism, which\ncorresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but\nas an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus\nChrist, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with\nangels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him\n```\n\nThrough baptism, we experience with Jesus, resurrection and rule of the angels,\nauthorities, and power of the world...\n\n## Take Away\n\nFor the disciples listening... are they arguing about when the flood happened?\nor if it was a global or local flood? \n\nNo... they are listening to Jesus unpack patterns in the Bible and they hear\nhim invite them, through a story they know very well, into rule and reign with\nhim\n\n\n", "summary": "Jesus brings up the Flood story from Genesis just one time (in the recorded teachings we have).", "date_published": "2024-12-14T06:06:38Z", "date_modified": "2024-12-14T06:06:38Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "bible-project", "faith", "flood-story" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/the-flood-story-quilt-analogy/", "url": "https://pype.dev/the-flood-story-quilt-analogy/", "title": "The Flood Story - Quilt Analogy", "content_html": "\u003ch1 id=\"the-flood-story-in-the-hebrew-bible\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eThe Flood Story in the Hebrew Bible\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m slowly making my way through some Bible Project classes online because Tim\nMackie is a fantastic teacher and BP has done be a \u003cem\u003egreat\u003c/em\u003e service by opening\nmy eyes to the reality of the Biblical narrative and what it means for my life\nof faith in Jesus.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe second session is filled with great points and 10 minutes in I had to jot\nthis one down\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"a-quilt-as-history\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eA Quilt as History\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#a-quilt-as-history\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImagine your grandmother\u0026rsquo;s grandmother made a quilt, and passed it down the\nfamily tree. In a sense, that quilt contains history that would pre-date you\nbut would absolutely have meaning to you\u0026hellip; However, you might look for meaning\nthat was never intended to be present.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe pieces of the quilt have their own history - there will be material that\nmight\u0026rsquo;ve been part of a dress, or curtains, or bedsheets, or anything else\nsomeone in the family tree found interesting and meaningful for the story they\nare telling with their quilt.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe question of what each of the pieces mean on their own, or in where they\ncome from is interesting perhaps, but it\u0026rsquo;s not the same question as asking what\nthose pieces mean now that they have been curated into the family quilt\u0026hellip; The\ncreator(s) of the quilt may repurpose those pieces entirely, and it wouldn\u0026rsquo;t be\n\u0026ldquo;right\u0026rdquo; for you or me to be upset that one piece of the quilt came from an\narticle of clothing or cloth associated with something we might not like - the\nauthor (your grandma) \u003cstrong\u003erepurposed\u003c/strong\u003e it for that very reason, to change the\nmeaning and communicate something to you, perhaps something totally different\nthan what that cloth might\u0026rsquo;ve meant before it was added to the quilt.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"creation-as-a-quilt\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eCreation as a Quilt\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#creation-as-a-quilt\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe quilt is a curated piece of pieces of fabric - and to bring the metaphor\nhome very abruptly, so is the Hebrew Bible\u0026hellip; the authors of the Hebrew\nscripture absolutely repurposed stories and images that were present in their\ntime and before, but not to make something that is a cheap copy, but to\ncommunicate the story of the \u003cem\u003eactual\u003c/em\u003e God of gods, ruling over the world.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor example - the very beginning of the creationa ccount in Genesis 1 has the\nspirit of God hovering over the waters. Without getting into more details than\na short write-up warrants, the waters in ancient thought represent chaos. Not\nonly that, but there is an older creation account called the Enuma Elish where\ntheir savior god, Marduk, fights the chaos waters (Tiamat) and conquers her\neventually\u0026hellip; The thing about the Hebrew narrative is that Yahweh doesn\u0026rsquo;t have\nto fight the waters\u0026hellip; he subdues with his words because he isn\u0026rsquo;t in tension\nwith creation, or even with chaos, all things obey him and the chaos waters\nthat other gods had to fight and die over are no different. So the meaning of\nthe waters is somewhat consistent across lots of cultures, but Hebrews took the\nstories and in essence made them \u0026ldquo;more true\u0026rdquo;, but at the very least made them\nrelevant to the story they are/were communicating about the God of gods and\nLord of love - that he is the creator of all things and invites us to partner\nwith him (as his image-bearers).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"calm-down\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eCalm Down\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#calm-down\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA lot of Christians get upset or skiddish when other stories and cultures get\nbrought up - as if the Bible had to fall from heaven in their favorite English\ntranslation\u0026hellip; but in my opinion that is the silliest and cheapest view of the\nWord of God\u0026hellip; he chose people out of foreign lands to make an inheritence for\nhimself, his people, and those people tell his story using images that they\nknow.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s important for us to answer interesting questions but not lose sight of\nwhat\u0026rsquo;s important\u0026hellip; The Enuma Elish is an interesting piece, and there\u0026rsquo;s\nparallels with the Hebrew bible, but the Hebrew creation account clearly\ncommunicates that Yahweh doesn\u0026rsquo;t have to labor and fight for order, he speaks\norder into chaos. That lesson is wholly different from other creation\nnarratives, but is it derivative of them\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat used to bother me, but understanding that the authors of the Bible,\ncarried forth by the guidance of God\u0026rsquo;s spirit, curated these stories and\nnarratives for God\u0026rsquo;s people to communicate the truest Truths about him and his\nlove for people help me understand the reality of God partnering with humanity\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ewhich starts in the Garden and is how Revelation ends\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n# The Flood Story in the Hebrew Bible\n\nI'm slowly making my way through some Bible Project classes online because Tim\nMackie is a fantastic teacher and BP has done be a _great_ service by opening\nmy eyes to the reality of the Biblical narrative and what it means for my life\nof faith in Jesus.\n\nThe second session is filled with great points and 10 minutes in I had to jot\nthis one down...\n\n## A Quilt as History\n\nImagine your grandmother's grandmother made a quilt, and passed it down the\nfamily tree. In a sense, that quilt contains history that would pre-date you\nbut would absolutely have meaning to you... However, you might look for meaning\nthat was never intended to be present.\n\nThe pieces of the quilt have their own history - there will be material that\nmight've been part of a dress, or curtains, or bedsheets, or anything else\nsomeone in the family tree found interesting and meaningful for the story they\nare telling with their quilt.\n\nThe question of what each of the pieces mean on their own, or in where they\ncome from is interesting perhaps, but it's not the same question as asking what\nthose pieces mean now that they have been curated into the family quilt... The\ncreator(s) of the quilt may repurpose those pieces entirely, and it wouldn't be\n\"right\" for you or me to be upset that one piece of the quilt came from an\narticle of clothing or cloth associated with something we might not like - the\nauthor (your grandma) __repurposed__ it for that very reason, to change the\nmeaning and communicate something to you, perhaps something totally different\nthan what that cloth might've meant before it was added to the quilt.\n\n## Creation as a Quilt\n\nThe quilt is a curated piece of pieces of fabric - and to bring the metaphor\nhome very abruptly, so is the Hebrew Bible... the authors of the Hebrew\nscripture absolutely repurposed stories and images that were present in their\ntime and before, but not to make something that is a cheap copy, but to\ncommunicate the story of the *actual* God of gods, ruling over the world. \n\nFor example - the very beginning of the creationa ccount in Genesis 1 has the\nspirit of God hovering over the waters. Without getting into more details than\na short write-up warrants, the waters in ancient thought represent chaos. Not\nonly that, but there is an older creation account called the Enuma Elish where\ntheir savior god, Marduk, fights the chaos waters (Tiamat) and conquers her\neventually... The thing about the Hebrew narrative is that Yahweh doesn't have\nto fight the waters... he subdues with his words because he isn't in tension\nwith creation, or even with chaos, all things obey him and the chaos waters\nthat other gods had to fight and die over are no different. So the meaning of\nthe waters is somewhat consistent across lots of cultures, but Hebrews took the\nstories and in essence made them \"more true\", but at the very least made them\nrelevant to the story they are/were communicating about the God of gods and\nLord of love - that he is the creator of all things and invites us to partner\nwith him (as his image-bearers).\n\n## Calm Down\n\nA lot of Christians get upset or skiddish when other stories and cultures get\nbrought up - as if the Bible had to fall from heaven in their favorite English\ntranslation... but in my opinion that is the silliest and cheapest view of the\nWord of God... he chose people out of foreign lands to make an inheritence for\nhimself, his people, and those people tell his story using images that they\nknow.\n\nIt's important for us to answer interesting questions but not lose sight of\nwhat's important... The Enuma Elish is an interesting piece, and there's\nparallels with the Hebrew bible, but the Hebrew creation account clearly\ncommunicates that Yahweh doesn't have to labor and fight for order, he speaks\norder into chaos. That lesson is wholly different from other creation\nnarratives, but is it derivative of them... \n\nThat used to bother me, but understanding that the authors of the Bible,\ncarried forth by the guidance of God's spirit, curated these stories and\nnarratives for God's people to communicate the truest Truths about him and his\nlove for people help me understand the reality of God partnering with humanity\n- which starts in the Garden and is how Revelation ends\n", "summary": "I'm slowly making my way through some Bible Project classes online because Tim Mackie is a fantastic teacher and BP has done be a _ service by opening my...", "date_published": "2024-12-14T05:43:43Z", "date_modified": "2024-12-14T05:43:43Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "bible-project", "faith", "flood-story" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/advent-2024-peace/", "url": "https://pype.dev/advent-2024-peace/", "title": "Advent 2024 - Peace", "content_html": "\u003ch2 id=\"scripture\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eScripture\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#scripture\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLuke 2:14 (ESV): 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"edification\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eEdification\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#edification\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is a word we probably know - Shalom. It\u0026rsquo;s the Hebrew word we translate often as \u0026ldquo;peace\u0026rdquo;. But when I hear \u0026ldquo;peace\u0026rdquo; I often think about being calm - and that oversimplifies Shalom\u0026hellip; I think a more appropriate understanding is \u0026ldquo;things are as they are supposed to be\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the Garden, we see Shalom - the Lord partnering with humanity to steward the earth, to make things as they were supposed to be\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou all know we messed that up, Shalom was broken and humanity was exiled.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut we have a Great Healer.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus is Lord of all, King of Heaven and Earth, Ruler of your lives and mine, and he is the Prince of Peace\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThings in our lives are probably not often as they are supposed to be\u0026hellip; We get sick, worry about bills, experience tragedy, and weather the storms of life. But there is hope - confident expectation - that peace already has been, and will continue to be, restored to those whom Jesus chooses, the ones with whom he is pleased.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJohn records a lot before telling us about the cross, and I won\u0026rsquo;t recount that in this short edification. But he recalls a hopeful word from the Lord -\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJohn 16:33 (LEB): 33 I [Jesus] have said these things to you so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have affliction, but have courage! I have conquered the world.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis season, and this week of Advent, I pray God presses the reality, and the hope for, peace, the expectation of Shalom, deeper into my heart. I pray the Spirit guides us all to bring the will of God to earth as it is in Heaven\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFinally I pray we may all be given, and accept, the conviction of Paul -\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRomans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Our present trials are not on an equal scale with the glory of heaven\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMay the rest, the peace, the Shalom that Jesus gives to his followers be with you all. Amen.\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n## Scripture\n\nLuke 2:14 (ESV): 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”\n\n## Edification\n\nThere is a word we probably know - Shalom. It's the Hebrew word we translate often as \"peace\". But when I hear \"peace\" I often think about being calm - and that oversimplifies Shalom... I think a more appropriate understanding is \"things are as they are supposed to be\".\n\nIn the Garden, we see Shalom - the Lord partnering with humanity to steward the earth, to make things as they were supposed to be...\n\nYou all know we messed that up, Shalom was broken and humanity was exiled.\n\nBut we have a Great Healer.\n\nJesus is Lord of all, King of Heaven and Earth, Ruler of your lives and mine, and he is the Prince of Peace\n\nThings in our lives are probably not often as they are supposed to be... We get sick, worry about bills, experience tragedy, and weather the storms of life. But there is hope - confident expectation - that peace already has been, and will continue to be, restored to those whom Jesus chooses, the ones with whom he is pleased.\n\nJohn records a lot before telling us about the cross, and I won't recount that in this short edification. But he recalls a hopeful word from the Lord -\n\nJohn 16:33 (LEB): 33 I \\[Jesus\\] have said these things to you so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have affliction, but have courage! I have conquered the world.”\n\nThis season, and this week of Advent, I pray God presses the reality, and the hope for, peace, the expectation of Shalom, deeper into my heart. I pray the Spirit guides us all to bring the will of God to earth as it is in Heaven\n\nFinally I pray we may all be given, and accept, the conviction of Paul -\n\nRomans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Our present trials are not on an equal scale with the glory of heaven\n\nMay the rest, the peace, the Shalom that Jesus gives to his followers be with you all. Amen.\n", "summary": "Luke 2:14 (ESV): 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”", "date_published": "2024-12-06T15:26:15Z", "date_modified": "2024-12-06T15:26:15Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "faith", "advent" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/how-to-survive-the-flood/", "url": "https://pype.dev/how-to-survive-the-flood/", "title": "How To Survive The Flood", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003eThere a lot of flood stories throughout the history of the world, and the Bible\nis no different in this regard. God warns Noah of a de-creation event, whereby\nhe\u0026rsquo;ll start over with humanity via Noah and his family. Noah survives the flood\nby abiding in Yahweh and staying close to the One who loves him.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNote this reflection doesn\u0026rsquo;t address \u003cem\u003eAT ALL\u003c/em\u003e if the flood narrative is a\n\u0026ldquo;real\u0026rdquo; historical event, whether it\u0026rsquo;s a global or local event, or anything\nlike that - regardless of those points the Biblical authors used this type of\nimagery of chaos waters to communicate themes of judgement and wrath.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus, in the Sermon on the Mount with the 2 houses, calls back to the images\nof the chaos waters (the winds and the rains). His instruction is that the wise\nman who built his house on the rock will survive, but the foolish man builds\nhis house on the sand and the winds and the rains destroyed it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSomewhat obviously this is metaphorical for basing your life on wisdom or\nfolly. The wisdom is Jesus\u0026rsquo; teaching which is all based on Yahweh\u0026rsquo;s love for\nhumanity and his desire to partner with humanity for the good of the whole\nearth.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe simple take-away is for us to survive the winds and the rain, and to say it\nmore fully - to survive de-creation and destruction, we must live our lives in\na way that revolves around Jesus, the perfect human. He calls us to a greater\nhumanity, an unbroken humanity, which is unachievable apart from him (just look\naround if you doubt this truth).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s important to notice though that abiding in the Lord, basing your life on\nthe rock, doesn\u0026rsquo;t spare you from the wind and the rain. Trials come, life gets\nhard, shit hits the fan. The last few weeks for me haven\u0026rsquo;t been my favorite and\nI\u0026rsquo;ve certainly experienced turmoil in my life but frankly Jesus makes those\nthings bearable\u0026hellip; in a way I can\u0026rsquo;t put enough words to I\u0026rsquo;ll just be reminded of\nPaul in Romans 8\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode class=\"language-Romans\"\u003eworthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Our present\ntrials are not on an equal scale with the glory of heaven ```\n\nBy God's grace he's molded my heart to be nearly incapable of separating the\nLove God has for me from any trial I face - it's not a magic answer or silver\nbullet to fixing those problems, and it doesn't make them go away, but I know\nthe sufferings here aren't even worth comparing to the glory of the Lord. Amen.\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n", "content_text": "\nThere a lot of flood stories throughout the history of the world, and the Bible\nis no different in this regard. God warns Noah of a de-creation event, whereby\nhe'll start over with humanity via Noah and his family. Noah survives the flood\nby abiding in Yahweh and staying close to the One who loves him.\n\n\u003e Note this reflection doesn't address _AT ALL_ if the flood narrative is a\n\u003e \"real\" historical event, whether it's a global or local event, or anything\n\u003e like that - regardless of those points the Biblical authors used this type of\n\u003e imagery of chaos waters to communicate themes of judgement and wrath.\n\nJesus, in the Sermon on the Mount with the 2 houses, calls back to the images\nof the chaos waters (the winds and the rains). His instruction is that the wise\nman who built his house on the rock will survive, but the foolish man builds\nhis house on the sand and the winds and the rains destroyed it.\n\nSomewhat obviously this is metaphorical for basing your life on wisdom or\nfolly. The wisdom is Jesus' teaching which is all based on Yahweh's love for\nhumanity and his desire to partner with humanity for the good of the whole\nearth.\n\nThe simple take-away is for us to survive the winds and the rain, and to say it\nmore fully - to survive de-creation and destruction, we must live our lives in\na way that revolves around Jesus, the perfect human. He calls us to a greater\nhumanity, an unbroken humanity, which is unachievable apart from him (just look\naround if you doubt this truth).\n\nIt's important to notice though that abiding in the Lord, basing your life on\nthe rock, doesn't spare you from the wind and the rain. Trials come, life gets\nhard, shit hits the fan. The last few weeks for me haven't been my favorite and\nI've certainly experienced turmoil in my life but frankly Jesus makes those\nthings bearable... in a way I can't put enough words to I'll just be reminded of\nPaul in Romans 8...\n\n``` Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not\nworthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Our present\ntrials are not on an equal scale with the glory of heaven ```\n\nBy God's grace he's molded my heart to be nearly incapable of separating the\nLove God has for me from any trial I face - it's not a magic answer or silver\nbullet to fixing those problems, and it doesn't make them go away, but I know\nthe sufferings here aren't even worth comparing to the glory of the Lord. Amen.\n", "summary": "There a lot of flood stories throughout the history of the world, and the Bible is no different in this regard. God warns Noah of a de-creation event,...", "date_published": "2024-12-04T05:52:44Z", "date_modified": "2024-12-04T05:52:44Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "bible-project", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/the-two-houses/", "url": "https://pype.dev/the-two-houses/", "title": "The Two Houses", "content_html": "\u003ch1 id=\"the-two-houses\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eThe Two Houses\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"context\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eContext\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#context\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003e24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.\n\nThe Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Mt 7:24–27). (2016). Crossway Bibles.\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"reflection\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eReflection\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#reflection\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the visual commentary Tim calls out a few things:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ccode\u003ethe rock\u003c/code\u003e is supposed to first call us back to earlier in the sermon when Jesus calls his people \u0026ldquo;the light of the world\u0026rdquo; and says \u0026ldquo;a city on a hill [mountain] cannot be hidden\u0026rdquo; (Matthew 5:14). The hill [ὄρος | oros] means \u0026ldquo;mountain\u0026rdquo; and is a hyperlink to OT teaching of God\u0026rsquo;s people living in the ideal Jerusalem on Mt. Zion. Lots of Hebrew imagery here.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe rain and floods are a callback to the Chaos Waters of the OT (and general ANE thinking). It\u0026rsquo;s a reference to the destructive nature that we humans have unleashed on the world - but the wise man who listens to Jesus lives a life with some amount of protection from those hardships - and ultimate protection from God handing us over to Chaos (destruction).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n# The Two Houses\n\n## Context\n\n```\n24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.\n\nThe Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Mt 7:24–27). (2016). Crossway Bibles.\n```\n\n## Reflection\n\nFrom the visual commentary Tim calls out a few things:\n\n1. `the rock` is supposed to first call us back to earlier in the sermon when Jesus calls his people \"the light of the world\" and says \"a city on a hill [mountain] cannot be hidden\" (Matthew 5:14). The hill [ὄρος | oros] means \"mountain\" and is a hyperlink to OT teaching of God's people living in the ideal Jerusalem on Mt. Zion. Lots of Hebrew imagery here.\n\n2. The rain and floods are a callback to the Chaos Waters of the OT (and general ANE thinking). It's a reference to the destructive nature that we humans have unleashed on the world - but the wise man who listens to Jesus lives a life with some amount of protection from those hardships - and ultimate protection from God handing us over to Chaos (destruction).\n", "summary": "From the visual commentary Tim calls out a few things:", "date_published": "2024-11-27T05:40:24Z", "date_modified": "2024-11-27T05:40:24Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "bible-project", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/bp-the-golden-rule/", "url": "https://pype.dev/bp-the-golden-rule/", "title": "BP - The Golden Rule", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003eMatthew 7:12\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003eSo then, everything you desire that people do to you, so also you do to them, for this is the Torah and the Prophets\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"what-do-i-desire-that-people-do-to-me\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eWhat do I desire that people “do to [me]”?\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#what-do-i-desire-that-people-do-to-me\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHelp if I need it - I want to live in a world where humans are helpful\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eListen to me and understand what I say\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLeave me alone sometimes\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"what-is-the-torah-and-prophets\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eWhat is the Torah and Prophets?\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#what-is-the-torah-and-prophets\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI know there\u0026rsquo;s a lot more to where the texts come from and the varying\ntraditions in Judaism. But I think at a very high level, Jesus is saying that\nwe all know, deep down, how to live in harmony but that it requires sacrifice.\nHe calls us to live sacrificially \u003cem\u003etowards each other\u003c/em\u003e, to live in Heaven\ntoday, so we can experience the coming reality if our own resurrection\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\nMatthew 7:12\n\n```\nSo then, everything you desire that people do to you, so also you do to them, for this is the Torah and the Prophets\n```\n\n## What do I desire that people \"do to [me]\"?\n\n1. Help if I need it - I want to live in a world where humans are helpful\n2. Listen to me and understand what I say\n3. Leave me alone sometimes\n\n## What is the Torah and Prophets?\n\nI know there's a lot more to where the texts come from and the varying\ntraditions in Judaism. But I think at a very high level, Jesus is saying that\nwe all know, deep down, how to live in harmony but that it requires sacrifice.\nHe calls us to live sacrificially _towards each other_, to live in Heaven\ntoday, so we can experience the coming reality if our own resurrection\n\n", "summary": "Matthew 7:12", "date_published": "2024-11-06T05:54:32Z", "date_modified": "2024-11-06T05:54:32Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "bible-project", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-wisdom-in-relationships-2/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-wisdom-in-relationships-2/", "title": "Reflection - Wisdom in Relationships 2", "content_html": "\u003ch2 id=\"passage\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003ePassage\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#passage\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003eWhy do you see the speck in the eye of your brother, but you don't perceive the\nbeam in your own eye?\n\nOr how can you say to your brother, \u0026quot;Allow me to take out the speck from your\neye,\u0026quot; and look, the beam is in your eye!\n\nHypocrite! First take out the beam from your eye, and then you can see clearly\nthe speck in the eye of your brother.\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003eAsk and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be\nhopend to you. For the one who asks will receive, and the one who seeks will\nfind. And to the one who knocks it will be opened. For what person is among\nyou, who when their son asks for break, will give him a rock? Or when he asks\nfor a fish will give him a snake? So then fi you all are bad, but you know how\nto give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in the\nskies give good things to those who ask.\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"reflection\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eReflection\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#reflection\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJames builds on this with \u003ccode\u003eif any of you lacks wisdom then ask for wisdom it will be given to you\u003c/code\u003e. James is arming us with some specifics from the Sermon\non the Mount. We aren\u0026rsquo;t just to ask for anything that we think is good\u0026hellip;\nwisdom is the good we are to ask for.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTim: Prayer is important because wisdom will flow out of a deep interpersonal\nrelationship with God.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"where-has-god-given-me-wisdom\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eWhere has God given me wisdom?\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#where-has-god-given-me-wisdom\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMarriage/relationships as Kassia and I have navigated many things (job changes, moving for family, family falling through, unhealthy parent relationships, church hunts, and our own self-development and discovery)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe\u0026rsquo;s given me a lot of professional wisdom - potentially through AuDHD and the exposure he\u0026rsquo;s brought me through.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThrough Mark Forstrom, Andrew, Nick Z, etc. I was filled with wisdom on how to be a man in the life of a boy - how to talk with someone immature, let them be and feel heard, but also on how to challenge them to grow (up).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n## Passage\n\n```\nWhy do you see the speck in the eye of your brother, but you don't perceive the\nbeam in your own eye?\n\nOr how can you say to your brother, \"Allow me to take out the speck from your\neye,\" and look, the beam is in your eye!\n\nHypocrite! First take out the beam from your eye, and then you can see clearly\nthe speck in the eye of your brother.\n```\n\n```\nAsk and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be\nhopend to you. For the one who asks will receive, and the one who seeks will\nfind. And to the one who knocks it will be opened. For what person is among\nyou, who when their son asks for break, will give him a rock? Or when he asks\nfor a fish will give him a snake? So then fi you all are bad, but you know how\nto give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in the\nskies give good things to those who ask.\n```\n## Reflection\n\nJames builds on this with `if any of you lacks wisdom then ask for wisdom it\nwill be given to you`. James is arming us with some specifics from the Sermon\non the Mount. We aren't just to ask for anything that we think is good...\nwisdom is the good we are to ask for.\n\nTim: Prayer is important because wisdom will flow out of a deep interpersonal\nrelationship with God.\n\n### Where has God given me wisdom?\n\n1. Marriage/relationships as Kassia and I have navigated many things (job changes, moving for family, family falling through, unhealthy parent relationships, church hunts, and our own self-development and discovery)\n2. He's given me a lot of professional wisdom - potentially through AuDHD and the exposure he's brought me through. \n3. Through Mark Forstrom, Andrew, Nick Z, etc. I was filled with wisdom on how to be a man in the life of a boy - how to talk with someone immature, let them be and feel heard, but also on how to challenge them to grow (up).\n", "summary": "James builds on this with . James is arming us with some specifics from the Sermon on the Mount. We aren't just to ask for anything that we think is good......", "date_published": "2024-10-14T06:07:33Z", "date_modified": "2024-10-14T06:07:33Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "bible-project", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/reflection-wisdom-in-relationships/", "url": "https://pype.dev/reflection-wisdom-in-relationships/", "title": "Reflection - Wisdom in Relationships", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003eThis morning I finally felt some motivation for a short Bible Project video.\nThe app is great (💯 would recommend) and gives me daily reminders that are\nunobtrusive.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe passage is Matthew 7:1-2\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode class=\"language-Do\"\u003ethat you judge, you will be judged.\n\nAnd with the measure that you measure, it will be measured to you. ```\n\nThere are some personal things going on for me as I wrestle and work through an\nAuDHD diagnosis and there's a lot for me having grown up as a (almost\ncertainly) undiagnosed mild-autistic. These 2 verses are in a larger section of\nScripture called \u0026quot;The Sermon on the Mount\u0026quot;, Jesus starts it by basically saying\nhe'll summarize the Law and Prophets in Matthew 5, then concludes it in Matthew\n7 by saying he summed them up with what we call the Golden Rule - `do unto\nothers as you would have them do unto you` is how my Souther Baptist Grandma\nused to say it.\n\nI've grown up into knowing it's simply silly to expect non-Christians to live\nBiblically - I do not understand the judgement some Christians throw at\nnon-believers for things like cohabitation or getting drunk... It's literally\nwhat I would do without Jesus guiding my lie. However I've always felt a pretty\nunreasonable responsibility to point out where Christians are living by double\nstandards. Jesus addresses this with another commonly known question - \u0026quot;Why do\nyou take the spec our of your brother's eye but ignore the log in your own\neye?\u0026quot;. I'm very personally aware, almost to a hyper degree, but I definitely\ndon't have perfect-awaremenss, and I don't know if I'm losing zeal as I get\nolder or actually growing into wisdom but I am sliding more and more into a\nposition of just not worrying about what other people are doing. As long as my\nfamily is safe I'm basically a full-blown libertarian when it comes to people\nliving their lives.\n\nThe BP message this morning was just great confirmation that this is\ndirectionally correct, at least right now for me. I spent a lot of time as a\nkid worrying about other Christians living appropriately (this was partly\ndriven by needing older Christians to help me live appropriately and so I felt\nresponsiblity to help provide that environment for myself... combination of\nGod's grace and undiagnosed AuDHD methinks). Now as an adult I spend most of my\ntime thanking Jesus for saving me from myself and I simply trust that he will\nsave who he saves. Because that's not up to me I can focus on what I can manage\n- my own life and family.\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n", "content_text": "\nThis morning I finally felt some motivation for a short Bible Project video.\nThe app is great (💯 would recommend) and gives me daily reminders that are\nunobtrusive.\n\nThe passage is Matthew 7:1-2\n\n``` Do not judge so tha tyou will not be judged. Because with the judgement\nthat you judge, you will be judged.\n\nAnd with the measure that you measure, it will be measured to you. ```\n\nThere are some personal things going on for me as I wrestle and work through an\nAuDHD diagnosis and there's a lot for me having grown up as a (almost\ncertainly) undiagnosed mild-autistic. These 2 verses are in a larger section of\nScripture called \"The Sermon on the Mount\", Jesus starts it by basically saying\nhe'll summarize the Law and Prophets in Matthew 5, then concludes it in Matthew\n7 by saying he summed them up with what we call the Golden Rule - `do unto\nothers as you would have them do unto you` is how my Souther Baptist Grandma\nused to say it.\n\nI've grown up into knowing it's simply silly to expect non-Christians to live\nBiblically - I do not understand the judgement some Christians throw at\nnon-believers for things like cohabitation or getting drunk... It's literally\nwhat I would do without Jesus guiding my lie. However I've always felt a pretty\nunreasonable responsibility to point out where Christians are living by double\nstandards. Jesus addresses this with another commonly known question - \"Why do\nyou take the spec our of your brother's eye but ignore the log in your own\neye?\". I'm very personally aware, almost to a hyper degree, but I definitely\ndon't have perfect-awaremenss, and I don't know if I'm losing zeal as I get\nolder or actually growing into wisdom but I am sliding more and more into a\nposition of just not worrying about what other people are doing. As long as my\nfamily is safe I'm basically a full-blown libertarian when it comes to people\nliving their lives.\n\nThe BP message this morning was just great confirmation that this is\ndirectionally correct, at least right now for me. I spent a lot of time as a\nkid worrying about other Christians living appropriately (this was partly\ndriven by needing older Christians to help me live appropriately and so I felt\nresponsiblity to help provide that environment for myself... combination of\nGod's grace and undiagnosed AuDHD methinks). Now as an adult I spend most of my\ntime thanking Jesus for saving me from myself and I simply trust that he will\nsave who he saves. Because that's not up to me I can focus on what I can manage\n- my own life and family.\n", "summary": "This morning I finally felt some motivation for a short Bible Project video. The app is great (💯 would recommend) and gives me daily reminders that are...", "date_published": "2024-10-12T05:40:11Z", "date_modified": "2024-10-12T05:40:11Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "bible-project", "faith", "reflection" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/on-earth-as-it-is-in-heaven/", "url": "https://pype.dev/on-earth-as-it-is-in-heaven/", "title": "On Earth as It Is in Heaven", "content_html": "\u003ch1 id=\"on-earth-as-it-is-in-heaven\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eOn Earth as It Is in Heaven\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/on-earth-as-it-is-in-heaven/\"\u003eVideo\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"sermon-on-the-mount\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eSermon on the Mount\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#sermon-on-the-mount\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e3 chapters filled with phrases that are very well-known in our culture\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"phrases\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003ePhrases\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#phrases\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLove your neighbor as yourself\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDo to others what you would have them do to you\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou are the salt of the earth\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYou can’t serve both God and money\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTake the plank out of your eye before you take the speck out of another’s\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf anyone strikes you on the cheek, turn and offer him the other cheek\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLove your enemy and bless those who persecute you\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf your hand causes you to sin, cut it… off\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"references\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eReferences\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#references\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMark 12:31\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMatthew 7:12\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMatthew 5:13\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMatthew 6:24\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMatthew 7:5\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMatthew 5:39\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMatthew 5:44\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMatthew 5:30\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"meditation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMeditation\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#meditation\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSermon on the mount is chiastic\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e3 main parts to the Sermon on the Mount\nThe middle part has 3 parts\nEach of those parts has 3 parts\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"climax\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eClimax\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#climax\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe center of the chiasm is a famous prayer\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Our Father in Heaven, may your name be treated as holy. May your Kingdom come. May your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.”9\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003col start=\"9\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMatthew 6:9-10\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"jewishness\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eJewishness\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#jewishness\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod\u0026rsquo;s kingdom was to be ushered into the world by his creation, but Genesis\n3,6,10 tell us that humans choose wrong when we define good and bad by\nourselves. Yahweh chose Abraham and built up Israel as a second attempt of\nsorts to bring the his Kingdom to earth but the HB is filled with the story of\nhow they mostly failed.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNT time is where Jesus reveals the Kingdom to Jews who are oppressed by Roman\nEmpire and he reveals this to exactly the oppressed audience - \u0026ldquo;Blessed are the\npoor in spirit\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n# On Earth as It Is in Heaven\n\n[Video](https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/on-earth-as-it-is-in-heaven/)\n\n## Sermon on the Mount\n\n3 chapters filled with phrases that are very well-known in our culture\n\n### Phrases\n\n1. Love your neighbor as yourself\n2. Do to others what you would have them do to you\n3. You are the salt of the earth\n4. You can’t serve both God and money\n5. Take the plank out of your eye before you take the speck out of another’s\n6. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, turn and offer him the other cheek\n7. Love your enemy and bless those who persecute you\n8. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it… off\n\n### References\n\n1. Mark 12:31\n2. Matthew 7:12\n3. Matthew 5:13\n4. Matthew 6:24\n5. Matthew 7:5\n6. Matthew 5:39\n7. Matthew 5:44\n8. Matthew 5:30\n\n## Meditation\n\nSermon on the mount is chiastic\n\n\u003e 3 main parts to the Sermon on the Mount\n\u003e The middle part has 3 parts\n\u003e Each of those parts has 3 parts\n\n### Climax\n\nThe center of the chiasm is a famous prayer\n\n“Our Father in Heaven, may your name be treated as holy. May your Kingdom come. May your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.”9\n\n\u003e 9. Matthew 6:9-10\n\n## Jewishness\n\nGod's kingdom was to be ushered into the world by his creation, but Genesis\n3,6,10 tell us that humans choose wrong when we define good and bad by\nourselves. Yahweh chose Abraham and built up Israel as a second attempt of\nsorts to bring the his Kingdom to earth but the HB is filled with the story of\nhow they mostly failed.\n\nNT time is where Jesus reveals the Kingdom to Jews who are oppressed by Roman\nEmpire and he reveals this to exactly the oppressed audience - \"Blessed are the\npoor in spirit\"\n", "summary": "Video", "date_published": "2024-01-02T06:31:21Z", "date_modified": "2024-01-02T06:31:21Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "bible-project", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/chaos-dragon/", "url": "https://pype.dev/chaos-dragon/", "title": "Chaos Dragon", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003eDragons are metaphorical images in the Bible\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGoliath -\u0026gt; armor descriptions\nLeviathan\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDragon slayers can be enticed to become dragons themselves\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus is the great dragon slayer, who doesn\u0026rsquo;t give in to the inticing power of the dragon\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ecalming the sea\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003econquering sickness in others\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003etempter in the wilderness\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus\u0026rsquo; victory came through the surrender of his life - which brings him deep\ninto the dragon\u0026rsquo;s realm, to deliver the ultimate blow\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReflect\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the Bible, why is it challenging for humans to slay the dragon? What risks are involved?\nThe dragon\u0026rsquo;s power is enticing\u0026hellip; back to Genesis 3, humans are easy to persuade to do things for personal gain\nIt\u0026rsquo;s challenging also becauset the dragon is powerful, and humans are not\n(without its power or the power of Jesus) so if we stand against it without\nthe Lord, what hope do we have of victory?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat are some of the ways that Jesus confronted the “dragon” in his ministry?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ecalming the sea\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003econquering sickness in others\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003etempter in the wilderness\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHow does Jesus ultimately defeat the “dragon”? How can we follow his example?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSurrender\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI think we do the same, but it doesn\u0026rsquo;t always look like death, sometimes it\u0026rsquo;s\nsubverting the temporary authorities we are under to comply in the least\npossible ways while always ultimately striving for the coming of the Kingdom\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n", "content_text": "\nDragons are metaphorical images in the Bible\n\nGoliath -\u003e armor descriptions\nLeviathan\n\nDragon slayers can be enticed to become dragons themselves\n\nJesus is the great dragon slayer, who doesn't give in to the inticing power of the dragon\n\n- calming the sea\n- conquering sickness in others\n- tempter in the wilderness\n\nJesus' victory came through the surrender of his life - which brings him deep\ninto the dragon's realm, to deliver the ultimate blow\n\nReflect\n\n1. In the Bible, why is it challenging for humans to slay the dragon? What risks are involved?\n The dragon's power is enticing... back to Genesis 3, humans are easy to persuade to do things for personal gain\n It's challenging also becauset the dragon is powerful, and humans are not\n (without its power or the power of Jesus) so if we stand against it without\n the Lord, what hope do we have of victory?\n\n2. What are some of the ways that Jesus confronted the “dragon” in his ministry?\n\n - calming the sea\n - conquering sickness in others\n - tempter in the wilderness\n\n3. How does Jesus ultimately defeat the “dragon”? How can we follow his example?\n - Surrender\n - I think we do the same, but it doesn't always look like death, sometimes it's\n subverting the temporary authorities we are under to comply in the least\n possible ways while always ultimately striving for the coming of the Kingdom\n", "summary": "Dragons are metaphorical images in the Bible", "date_published": "2023-12-20T06:08:08Z", "date_modified": "2023-12-20T06:08:08Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "bible-project", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/olivet-mens-group-james-2023/", "url": "https://pype.dev/olivet-mens-group-james-2023/", "title": "olivet-mens-group-james-2023", "content_html": "\u003c!-- markdownlint-disable MD025 MD013 --\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"james\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eJames\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2023 study of the book of James\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"bp\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eBP\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#bp\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"the-guy\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eThe Guy\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#the-guy\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGreek: Iakobos (Jacob in English)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJacob is one of Jesus\u0026rsquo; half-brothers who became a leader of the Jerusalem church post-resurrection\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book of James is the legacy of this Jacob\u0026rsquo;s wisdom which was heavily influenced by two things:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSermon on the Mount / Matthew 5-7\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProverbs - expecially chapters 1-9\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"summary\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eSummary\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#summary\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese are short challenging wisdom speeches full of metaphors and one-liners\u0026hellip; Live in a wise way, submitting to Jesus\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChapters 2-5 teach about wholehearted devotion to Jesus - there are 12 teachings total\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003cthead\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003esection\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003esummary\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003esource\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2:1-13\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003efavoritism vs love\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e(Matthew 5:46-48)\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e2:14-26\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003egenuine faith\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e(Matthew 7:21-27)\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eteaching about words\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e3:1-12\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ethe tongue\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e(Luke 6:43-45)\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e4:11-12 fm condeming others\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e(matthew 12:36-37)\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e5:12\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003etelling the truth\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e(Matthew 5:37)\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ewealth\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e4:13-17\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003earrogance of wealth\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e(Matthew 6:28-34)\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e5:1-6\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003edanger of wealth\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e(Matthew 6:19-21)\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e5:7-11\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003epeace and endurance\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e(Matthew 24:13)\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e5:13-18\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003efaith-filled prayer\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e(Mathew 21:21-22)\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOther 4 are in the poster about James on BP\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChapter 1 the introduction\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2-4: life\u0026rsquo;s trials produce endurance and can make us \u003cem\u003eperfect\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003ecomplete\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eperect\u003c/em\u003e is repeated 7 times in the book - it refers to \u0026ldquo;wholeness\u0026rdquo; and integrity.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe are all fractrued and inconsistent people\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eperfect\u003c/em\u003e: Hebrew: Tamim, Greek: Teleios\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e5-8: God gives wisdom to those who ask in faith\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e9-11: povety can force us tot rust on God alone; wealth will pass away\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e12-18: God is generous and gives us new birth through Jesus\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e19-27: Don\u0026rsquo;t just listen to God\u0026rsquo;s word but \u003cem\u003edo\u003c/em\u003e it. It\u0026rsquo;s the Torah of Freedom\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003espeak with love\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eserve the poor\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ebe wholly devoted to God\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"jan-21\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eJan 21\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#jan-21\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJames 1:1\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJames, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDispersion: διασπορά - same word used by Peter to describe Jesus-followers as exiles\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJames 1:2-11\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,\n3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And\nlet steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and\ncomplete, lacking in nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask\nGod, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given\nhim. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts\nis like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that\nperson must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he\nis a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. 9 Let the lowly brother\nboast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a\nflower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its\nscorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty\nperishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"july-15\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eJuly 15\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#july-15\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMissed several meetings due to unfortunate travel circumstances\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJames 3:13-18\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him\nshow his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy\nand selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.\n15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly,\nunspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there\nwill be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first\npure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits,\nimpartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by\nthose who make peace.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Jas 3:13–18). (2016). Crossway\nBibles.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"december-16\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eDecember 16\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#december-16\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJames 5:13-20\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e13 Is anyone among you suffering misfortune? He should pray. Is anyone\ncheerful? He should sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? He should\nsummon the elders of the church and they should pray over him, anointing\nhim with olive oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will\nsave the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has\ncommitted sins ⌊he will be forgiven⌋. 16 Therefore confess your sins to one\nanother, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective\nprayer of a righteous person accomplishes much. 17 Elijah was a human being\nwith the same nature as us, and ⌊he prayed fervently⌋ for it not to rain,\nand it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he\nprayed again, and the sky gave rain and the earth produced its fruit.\n19 My brothers, if anyone among you should wander away from the truth and\nsomeone turns him back, 20 he should know that the one who turns a sinner\nback from the error of his way will save that person’s soul from death, and\nwill cover over a great number of sins.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"when-to-pray\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eWhen to pray\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#when-to-pray\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAll circumstances of life\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSickness\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eConfession\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWorking out the will of God\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRetrieving wandering souls\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJames ends his letter with prayer because it\u0026rsquo;s an exhortation of the Disapora\nand a life of faith must revolve around prayer\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor myself I think I pray in all circumstances, sickness, confession all ok. I\ndo not pray for long periods of time, and don\u0026rsquo;t feel very disiplined, but\nwhenever anything happens, by the Lord\u0026rsquo;s grace I am quick to turn my\nattention to Jesus, and hopefully turn the attention of my wife/kids to Jesus\nas well. Example: a person collapsed at the water park we went to this last\nweekend, Athalia and I were close-ish to that happening, so I told her we\nneeded to stop what we were doing and pray that Jesus would intervene.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI confess sin to Jesus but I\u0026rsquo;m not sure what that \u003cstrong\u003eshould\u003c/strong\u003e look like. I\u0026rsquo;ve\ntaken a Brother Lawrence approach to try and quickly confess and move on,\naccepting grace, but I struggle with intentional sinning in this area\u0026hellip; What\nis prayer if I knew what I was doing was wrong?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI am not more inclined to pray for suffering, but I think that\u0026rsquo;s because I\u0026rsquo;ve\nvery consciously been trying to pray in good circumstances more often because\nwhen we only pray in suffering that turns prayer into a Santa\u0026rsquo;s wish list\nsituation I think\u0026hellip; yes we need the Lord in suffering, but we display our need\nfor him NOT only in suffering, and if that is true then it begs the question,\nto me anyways, of whether or not the need is truly there\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"jc-ryle-s-quote\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eJC Ryle’s quote\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#jc-ryle-s-quote\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI disagree with the dude\u0026rsquo;s quote about the requirement of prayer, but only\nbecause the message is given in a direction that makes prayer look like\nsomething I have to do to get/keep/maintain my salvation\u0026hellip; Yahweh changes his\nchildren\u0026rsquo;s hearts and orients them towards him through prayer - if someone\ndoesn\u0026rsquo;t then I think that just means Yahweh has not worked or has not chosen\nthem, but them calling themselves a Christian is irrelevant, and no amount of\nforcing themselves to pray will change Yahweh\u0026rsquo;s will.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eIsaiah 1:6\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the sole of the foot and up to the head\nthere is no health in it;\nbruise and sore and bleeding wound have not been cleansed,\nand they have not been bound up\nand not softened with the oil.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePsalm 23:5\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e5 You prepare before me a table\nin the presence of my oppressors.\nYou anoint my head with oil;\nmy cup is overflowing.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e1 Kings 17:1-16\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e17 Elijah the Tishbite from Tishbe of Gilead said to Ahab, “⌊As Yahweh\nlives⌋, the God of Israel before whom I stand, there shall surely not be\ndew nor rain these years ⌊except by my command⌋.” 2 Then the word of Yahweh\ncame to him, saying, 3 “Go from this place and turn to the east; you must\nhide yourself in the Wadi Kerith ⌊which faces the Jordan⌋. 4 It shall be\nthat you shall drink from the wadi, and I have commanded the crows to\nsustain you there.” 5 So he went and did according to the word of Yahweh.\nHe went and stayed in the Wadi Kerith ⌊which faces the Jordan⌋. 6 The crows\nwere bringing bread and meat in the morning for him and bread and meat in\nthe evening, and he drank from the wadi. 7 It happened ⌊after a while⌋ that\nthe wadi dried up, because there was no rain in the land.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e8 Then the\nword of Yahweh came to him, saying, 9 “Get up and go to Zarephath which\nbelongs to Sidon and stay there. Look, I have commanded a woman there, a\nwidow, to sustain you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath and came to\nthe gate of the city. There was a widow woman gathering wood, so he called\nto her, and he said, “Please bring a little water for me in a vessel so\nthat I can drink.” 11 She went to fetch it, and he called to her and said,\n“Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12 She said, “⌊As Yahweh\nyour God lives⌋, surely I do not have a cake, ⌊but only a handful of flour⌋\nin the jar and a little olive oil in the jug. Here I am gathering a few\npieces of wood, and I will go and prepare it for me and my son, that we\nmight eat it and die.” 13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go and do\naccording to your word; only make for me a small bread cake from it first,\nand bring it out to me. Make it for yourself and for your son afterward.\n14 For thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: ‘The jar of flour will not be\nemptied and the jug of olive oil will not run out until the day Yahweh\ngives rain on the surface of the earth.’ ” 15 So she went and did according\nto the word of Elijah; then both she and he ate with her household for many\ndays. 16 The jar of flour was not emptied and the jug of olive oil did not\nrun out, according to the word of Yahweh which he spoke by the hand of\nElijah.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n\u003c!-- markdownlint-disable MD025 MD013 --\u003e\n\n# James\n\n2023 study of the book of James\n\n## BP\n\n### The Guy\n\nGreek: Iakobos (Jacob in English)\n\nJacob is one of Jesus' half-brothers who became a leader of the Jerusalem church post-resurrection\n\nThe book of James is the legacy of this Jacob's wisdom which was heavily influenced by two things:\n\n1. Sermon on the Mount / Matthew 5-7\n2. Proverbs - expecially chapters 1-9\n\n### Summary\n\nThese are short challenging wisdom speeches full of metaphors and one-liners... Live in a wise way, submitting to Jesus\n\nChapters 2-5 teach about wholehearted devotion to Jesus - there are 12 teachings total\n\n| section | summary | source |\n| --------------------------- | -------------------- | ----------------- |\n| 2:1-13 | favoritism vs love | (Matthew 5:46-48) |\n| 2:14-26 | genuine faith | (Matthew 7:21-27) |\n| | teaching about words | |\n| 3:1-12 | the tongue | (Luke 6:43-45) |\n| 4:11-12 fm condeming others | (matthew 12:36-37) |\n| 5:12 | telling the truth | (Matthew 5:37) |\n| | wealth | |\n| 4:13-17 | arrogance of wealth | (Matthew 6:28-34) |\n| 5:1-6 | danger of wealth | (Matthew 6:19-21) |\n| 5:7-11 | peace and endurance | (Matthew 24:13) |\n| 5:13-18 | faith-filled prayer | (Mathew 21:21-22) |\n\n\u003e Other 4 are in the poster about James on BP\n\nChapter 1 the introduction\n\n2-4: life's trials produce endurance and can make us _perfect_ and _complete_\n\n_perect_ is repeated 7 times in the book - it refers to \"wholeness\" and integrity.\n\nWe are all fractrued and inconsistent people\n\n_perfect_: Hebrew: Tamim, Greek: Teleios\n\n5-8: God gives wisdom to those who ask in faith\n\n9-11: povety can force us tot rust on God alone; wealth will pass away\n\n12-18: God is generous and gives us new birth through Jesus\n\n19-27: Don't just listen to God's word but _do_ it. It's the Torah of Freedom\n\n- speak with love\n- serve the poor\n- be wholly devoted to God\n\n## Jan 21\n\n!!! quote \"James 1:1\"\n\n James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.\n\nDispersion: διασπορά - same word used by Peter to describe Jesus-followers as exiles\n\n!!! quote \"James 1:2-11\"\n\n 2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,\n 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And\n let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and\n complete, lacking in nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask\n God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given\n him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts\n is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that\n person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he\n is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. 9 Let the lowly brother\n boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a\n flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its\n scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty\n perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.\n\n## July 15\n\n\u003e Missed several meetings due to unfortunate travel circumstances\n\n!!! quote \"James 3:13-18\"\n\n 13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him\n show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy\n and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.\n 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly,\n unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there\n will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first\n pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits,\n impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by\n those who make peace.\n\n The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Jas 3:13–18). (2016). Crossway\n Bibles.\n\n## December 16\n\n!!! quote \"James 5:13-20\"\n\n 13 Is anyone among you suffering misfortune? He should pray. Is anyone\n cheerful? He should sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? He should\n summon the elders of the church and they should pray over him, anointing\n him with olive oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will\n save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has\n committed sins ⌊he will be forgiven⌋. 16 Therefore confess your sins to one\n another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective\n prayer of a righteous person accomplishes much. 17 Elijah was a human being\n with the same nature as us, and ⌊he prayed fervently⌋ for it not to rain,\n and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he\n prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the earth produced its fruit.\n 19 My brothers, if anyone among you should wander away from the truth and\n someone turns him back, 20 he should know that the one who turns a sinner\n back from the error of his way will save that person’s soul from death, and\n will cover over a great number of sins.\n\n### When to pray\n\n1. All circumstances of life\n2. Sickness\n3. Confession\n4. Working out the will of God\n5. Retrieving wandering souls\n\nJames ends his letter with prayer because it's an exhortation of the Disapora\nand a life of faith must revolve around prayer\n\nFor myself I think I pray in all circumstances, sickness, confession all ok. I\ndo not pray for long periods of time, and don't feel very disiplined, but\nwhenever anything happens, by the Lord's grace I am quick to turn my\nattention to Jesus, and hopefully turn the attention of my wife/kids to Jesus\nas well. Example: a person collapsed at the water park we went to this last\nweekend, Athalia and I were close-ish to that happening, so I told her we\nneeded to stop what we were doing and pray that Jesus would intervene.\n\nI confess sin to Jesus but I'm not sure what that **should** look like. I've\ntaken a Brother Lawrence approach to try and quickly confess and move on,\naccepting grace, but I struggle with intentional sinning in this area... What\nis prayer if I knew what I was doing was wrong?\n\nI am not more inclined to pray for suffering, but I think that's because I've\nvery consciously been trying to pray in good circumstances more often because\nwhen we only pray in suffering that turns prayer into a Santa's wish list\nsituation I think... yes we need the Lord in suffering, but we display our need\nfor him NOT only in suffering, and if that is true then it begs the question,\nto me anyways, of whether or not the need is truly there\n\n### JC Ryle's quote\n\nI disagree with the dude's quote about the requirement of prayer, but only\nbecause the message is given in a direction that makes prayer look like\nsomething I have to do to get/keep/maintain my salvation... Yahweh changes his\nchildren's hearts and orients them towards him through prayer - if someone\ndoesn't then I think that just means Yahweh has not worked or has not chosen\nthem, but them calling themselves a Christian is irrelevant, and no amount of\nforcing themselves to pray will change Yahweh's will.\n\n!!! quote \"Isaiah 1:6\"\n\n From the sole of the foot and up to the head\n there is no health in it;\n bruise and sore and bleeding wound have not been cleansed,\n and they have not been bound up\n and not softened with the oil.\n\n!!! quote \"Psalm 23:5\"\n\n 5 You prepare before me a table\n in the presence of my oppressors.\n You anoint my head with oil;\n my cup is overflowing.\n\n!!! quote \"1 Kings 17:1-16\"\n\n 17 Elijah the Tishbite from Tishbe of Gilead said to Ahab, “⌊As Yahweh\n lives⌋, the God of Israel before whom I stand, there shall surely not be\n dew nor rain these years ⌊except by my command⌋.” 2 Then the word of Yahweh\n came to him, saying, 3 “Go from this place and turn to the east; you must\n hide yourself in the Wadi Kerith ⌊which faces the Jordan⌋. 4 It shall be\n that you shall drink from the wadi, and I have commanded the crows to\n sustain you there.” 5 So he went and did according to the word of Yahweh.\n He went and stayed in the Wadi Kerith ⌊which faces the Jordan⌋. 6 The crows\n were bringing bread and meat in the morning for him and bread and meat in\n the evening, and he drank from the wadi. 7 It happened ⌊after a while⌋ that\n the wadi dried up, because there was no rain in the land.\n\n 8 Then the\n word of Yahweh came to him, saying, 9 “Get up and go to Zarephath which\n belongs to Sidon and stay there. Look, I have commanded a woman there, a\n widow, to sustain you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath and came to\n the gate of the city. There was a widow woman gathering wood, so he called\n to her, and he said, “Please bring a little water for me in a vessel so\n that I can drink.” 11 She went to fetch it, and he called to her and said,\n “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12 She said, “⌊As Yahweh\n your God lives⌋, surely I do not have a cake, ⌊but only a handful of flour⌋\n in the jar and a little olive oil in the jug. Here I am gathering a few\n pieces of wood, and I will go and prepare it for me and my son, that we\n might eat it and die.” 13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go and do\n according to your word; only make for me a small bread cake from it first,\n and bring it out to me. Make it for yourself and for your son afterward.\n 14 For thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: ‘The jar of flour will not be\n emptied and the jug of olive oil will not run out until the day Yahweh\n gives rain on the surface of the earth.’ ” 15 So she went and did according\n to the word of Elijah; then both she and he ate with her household for many\n days. 16 The jar of flour was not emptied and the jug of olive oil did not\n run out, according to the word of Yahweh which he spoke by the hand of\n Elijah.\n", "date_published": "2023-01-21T06:06:31Z", "date_modified": "2023-01-21T06:06:31Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "olivet", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/hebrew-bible-full-class/", "url": "https://pype.dev/hebrew-bible-full-class/", "title": "Hebrew Bible Full Class", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://bibleproject.com/classroom-alpha/education-videos/session-1-what-earth-hebrew-bible/\"\u003eClass link\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"http://paynepride.com:8010/documents/162\"\u003eClassroom notes (Must be on home network)\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"01-the-shape-of-the-hebrew-bible\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003e01 The Shape of the Hebrew Bible\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"session-1-what-on-earth-is-the-hebrew-bible\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eSession 1: What on Earth is the Hebrew Bible?\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#session-1-what-on-earth-is-the-hebrew-bible\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis class is not so much a survey of the HB, it is Tim\u0026rsquo;s attempt to distil the\nmost helpful things for understanding it in a consumable way for laypeople.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA chunk of this is the other people giving some of their own background. One\nlady said something that might be helpful for ministry - \u0026ldquo;Maybe that thing that\nI saw as \u0026lsquo;you don\u0026rsquo;t love me\u0026rsquo; is \u0026lsquo;I don\u0026rsquo;t know how to love you\u0026rsquo;\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ehow to love\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaybe that thing that I saw as \u0026lsquo;you don\u0026rsquo;t love me\u0026rsquo; is \u0026lsquo;I don\u0026rsquo;t know how to love you\u0026rsquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition danger\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eChristian coping strategy for the Olt Testament\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHero-example model\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStories get isolated and distilled down into a simple moral model, where the hero is just the hero.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVeggie-Tales is uber-guilty of this nonsense\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThere\u0026rsquo;s something correct about this - but the oversimplification usually comes out of a massive re-writting of the stories, then anyone raised on those versions of the story is scaldalized when they read it for real\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePoltical-authority source\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePolitical parties hijacking \u0026ldquo;The Bible says X about Y\u0026rdquo; as a means to harvest authority from a book that many people claim is authoritative.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheology answer book model\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTreating the Bible like a dictionary of key/value pairs where keys are questions and values are simple answers.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThis ignores narrative, and general literacy.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe instinct may be right - the Bible should profoundly shape my view of everything, but it isn\u0026rsquo;t simple\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInspirational-heart-warming model\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVerse-a-day calendars\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJermiah 29:11\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition warning\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eWarning\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAre we imposing a set of questions that are foreign to what the authors are\ntrying to communicate? do we need to set our cultural agendas aside to just\nlisten?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA result of asking the wrong questions is the common story of people\u0026rsquo;s faith being dismantled \u003cem\u003eby reading the Bible\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eDL Baker - Two Testaments - One Bible\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the most fundamental questions which has faced theology and the\nChurch in every age\u0026hellip; is whether or not Christianity also needs an Old\nTestament. Is the Old Testament to be thrown away as obsolete, or pre-\nserved as a relic from days of yore, or treasured as a classic and read by\nscholars, or used occasionally as a change from the New Testament, or\nkept in a box in case it should be needed some day? Or is the Old Testa-\nment an essential part of the Christian Bible, with continuing validity along-\nside the New Testament? —\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"session-2-how-jesus-and-the-apostle-readtheir-bibles\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eSession 2: How Jesus and the Apostle ReadTheir Bibles\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#session-2-how-jesus-and-the-apostle-readtheir-bibles\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Bible most often refers to itself as \u003cem\u003ethe Writings\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eRoad to Emmaus\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus confronts a couple guys walking to Emmaus after he is resurrected and\nmore or less calls them idiots/fools for not understanding that the\nWritings point to an annointed king who will suffer death for the sake of\nredemption. He\u0026rsquo;s recognized by them once their eyes are opened then he vanishes\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeird stuff\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"paul-and-timothy\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003ePaul and Timothy\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#paul-and-timothy\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaul assumes when writing to Timothy that he, and probably believers in general, are in a community of people who are regularly learning about Yahweh through the Scriptures \u003cem\u003eas a family\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e2 Timothy 3:15-16\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026hellip; and that from childhood you ahve known the sacred writings which are\nable to give you the wisdom that leas to salvation through faith which is\nin Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for\nteaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition success\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eSuccess\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor Paul, the \u003ccode\u003eScriptures\u003c/code\u003e here are our OT, the Hebrew Bible. For Paul, the HB\nis entirely \u003cem\u003ewisdom literature\u003c/em\u003e that leads to salvation through Jesus\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe question of \u0026ldquo;What are the Scriptures?\u0026rdquo; is covered in the next session\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTo answer the question \u0026lsquo;How do we read the HB?\u0026rsquo; we have to ask the question\n\u0026lsquo;Whose book is the HB?\u0026rsquo;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"session-3-shape-of-the-scriptures\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eSession 3: Shape of the Scriptures\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#session-3-shape-of-the-scriptures\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ccode\u003eOld Testament\u003c/code\u003e is the Christian term for a set of writings that comprise about\n3/4 of the Christian Bible. The authors themselves though refer to those\nwritings as \u003ccode\u003ethe Scriptures\u003c/code\u003e. One time it is called \u003ccode\u003ethe Old Covenant\u003c/code\u003e by Paul\n, but he\u0026rsquo;s talking about Synagogue readings of the Torah portion in synagogues.\nTHe phrase \u003ccode\u003eHebrew Bible\u003c/code\u003e is a modern term that is a bit more neutral.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo, what is our Bible?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eLuke 24:25-27\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of\nheart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary\nthat the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”\n27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in\nall the Scriptures the things concerning himself.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMoses and the Prophets\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"tanak\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eTaNaK\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#tanak\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJweish reference to the books in our OT, in the Hebrew Bible, but the arangement is different\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eTaNaK\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eT = Torah (first 5 books)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eN - Nevi\u0026rsquo;im (Prophets: Joshua - Kings) [Christians often call these the \u0026lsquo;historial books\u0026rsquo;]\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eK - Ketuvim\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003cthead\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTorah\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePentateuch\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eGenesis - Exodus - Leviticus - Numbers Deuteronomy\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eGenesis - Exodus - Leviticus - Numbers - Deuteronomy\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNevi\u0026rsquo;im - The Prophets\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHistory\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cem\u003eFormer Prophets\u003c/em\u003e \u003cbr/\u003e Joshua - Judges - Samueal - Kings\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eJoshua - Judges - Ruth \u003cbr/\u003e 1-2 Samuel - 1-2 Kings \u003cbr/\u003e 1-2 Chronicles \u003cbr/\u003e Ezra - Nehemiah - Ester\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cem\u003eLater Prophets\u003c/em\u003e \u003cbr/\u003e Isaiah - Jeremiah - Ezekiel \u003cbr/\u003e Hosea - Joel - Amos - Obadiah - Jonah - Micah - Nahum - Habakkuk - Zephaniah - Haggai - Zechariah - Malachi\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePoetry\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cbr/\u003e Job - Psalms - Proverbs - Ecclesiastes - Song of Solomon\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKethuvim - The Writings\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProphets\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePsalms - Job - Proverbs \u003cbr/\u003e Ruth - Song of Songs - Ecclesiastes - Lamentations - Esther [The Megillot] \u003cbr/\u003e Daniel - Ezra - Nehemiah - Chronicles\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eIsiah - Jeremiah - Lamentations \u003cbr/\u003e Ezekiel - Daniel \u003cbr/\u003e Hosea - Joel - Amos - Obadiah - Jonah - Micah - Nahum - Habakkuk - Zephaniah - Haggai - Zechariah - Malachi\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eLuke 11:49–51 (ESV) \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e49 Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and\napostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ 50 so that the blood\nof all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged\nagainst this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of\nZechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell\nyou, it will be required of this generation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhy would Jesus pick these two events? Abel is murdered on page 4, Zechariah is\nmurdered in the last part of Chronicles, which in the TaNaK is significant\u0026hellip;\nJesus is saying that \u003cem\u003eall the prophets from the beginning of the Scriptures to\nthe end\u003c/em\u003e\u0026hellip; All the prophets from A-Z so to speak\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eScriptures\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;Books\u0026rdquo; as we know it, bound papers with writing on it, called a \u0026lsquo;codex\u0026rsquo;\nwasn\u0026rsquo;t a thing until a couple hundred years post-Jesus\u0026hellip; so when the\nauthors say \u0026ldquo;The Scriptures\u0026rdquo; we need to keep in mind that Jews had the\nscriptures in their minds and hearts, not on paper (save for a couple very\nexpensive scrolls). So the structure of the scriptures is also apart of the\nJewish being\u0026hellip; This interaction with the Scriptures is \u003cem\u003every very very\ndifferent than how we interact with the Bible\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e4QMMT\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;The scrolls of Moses, the words of the prophets, and of David.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePhilo of Alexandria\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe laws and the oracles given by inspiration through the prophets and the\nPsalms, and the other scrolls whereby knowledge and piety are increased and\ncompleted\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDe Vita Contemplatetiva, 25\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"melito-of-sardis\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMelito of Sardis\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#melito-of-sardis\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEarly 200s\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOne of the earliest Christians to talk about the books/scrolls of Christian scriptures\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSummarizes \u003cem\u003eChristian ordering\u003c/em\u003e of the Hebrew Bible with some logic\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFoundation narrative of the Pentateuch\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHistory\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePoetry\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProphets then point forward to the coming Messiah, Jesus, and the NT writings\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"session-4-seams-between-texts-in-the-dead-sea-scrolls\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eSession 4 - Seams between Texts in the Dead Sea Scrolls\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#session-4-seams-between-texts-in-the-dead-sea-scrolls\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAround 100-200 AD there was a split in the Jewish community over things like\nhow the Temple and sacrifices were to be run, etc. A group got kicked out, so\nthey grabbed some scrolls and went to start what we\u0026rsquo;d think of as a Monastic\ncommunity. Qumran community is where they went, and the scrolls this group\nmanaged are called the Dead Sea Scrolls.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOut of DSS we have some of the oldest biblical scrolls, they have their own\nwritings and liturgies since they were all priests basically too.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe scrolls were hidden in caves before the Romans marched on Qumran. They were\nfound in the 1940s by a bunch of shepherds. A few showed up online for sale and\nthat\u0026rsquo;s how we found out about their exitence\u0026hellip;. These scrolls give us\npre-Christian Jewish Bible nerds\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eQumran community didn\u0026rsquo;t know about Jesus - they thought the Messiah would be a\nman called \u003cem\u003eThe Teacher of Righteousness\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"scroll-making\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eScroll-making\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#scroll-making\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe DSS preserved for us, not only ancient biblical texts, but also the method\nby which scrolls were created. They were well-preserved papyrus that was\nstiched together - literal stitches. We also have obvious additions from Qumran\ncommunity as well as notes from priests and corrections from missed\ntranscribing.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"our-bible\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eOur Bible\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#our-bible\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe DSS scrolls, being the oldest stitched together set of scrolls, teach us\nhow scrolls and collections of ancient holy texts were put together. We need to\nkeep this in mind when we think about where our Christian Bible came from\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe beginning and ending of our books might/are filled with hyperlinks that\ncall a reader\u0026rsquo;s mind back to other stories. It\u0026rsquo;s the way of linking context and\nstories to one another before the writings are in a codex\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHyperlinks - language/syntax that remind a reader of antoher scroll - help us\nunderstand the structure of the Hebrew Bible\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eA favorite quote from Tim\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo, you can see I\u0026rsquo;m interested in a historical question of like the\ncollection [Hebrew Bible] was produced by a group of people. What did they\nmean by it? And we can actually know a lot about what they meant and locate\nthem and read it the way they wanted us to read it, and pick up what\nthey\u0026rsquo;re saying. And, lo and behold, you know, I hope to convince you\nthat—and this is all pre-Christian—what\u0026rsquo;s happening here and what this all\npoints to and means, fits hand in glove with how Jesus and Paul and the\napostles talk about these texts.\nSo that\u0026rsquo;s different from saying nobody\nknew what these texts meant. The events of Jesus happen, and then we go\nreread it, and it has a whole new meaning that no one has ever imagined. It\nseems to me what actually happened in history was a little more interesting\nand complicated than that. [17:30-18:21]\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n[Class link](https://bibleproject.com/classroom-alpha/education-videos/session-1-what-earth-hebrew-bible/)\n[Classroom notes (Must be on home network)](http://paynepride.com:8010/documents/162)\n\n# 01 The Shape of the Hebrew Bible\n\n## Session 1: What on Earth is the Hebrew Bible?\n\nThis class is not so much a survey of the HB, it is Tim's attempt to distil the\nmost helpful things for understanding it in a consumable way for laypeople.\n\nA chunk of this is the other people giving some of their own background. One\nlady said something that might be helpful for ministry - \"Maybe that thing that\nI saw as 'you don't love me' is 'I don't know how to love you'\"\n\n!!! note \"how to love\"\n\n Maybe that thing that I saw as 'you don't love me' is 'I don't know how to love you'\n\n!!! danger \"Christian coping strategy for the Olt Testament\"\n\n 1. Hero-example model\n * Stories get isolated and distilled down into a simple moral model, where the hero is just the hero.\n * Veggie-Tales is uber-guilty of this nonsense\n * There's something correct about this - but the oversimplification usually comes out of a massive re-writting of the stories, then anyone raised on those versions of the story is scaldalized when they read it for real\n\n 2. Poltical-authority source\n * Political parties hijacking \"The Bible says X about Y\" as a means to harvest authority from a book that many people claim is authoritative.\n\n 3. Theology answer book model\n * Treating the Bible like a dictionary of key/value pairs where keys are questions and values are simple answers.\n * This ignores narrative, and general literacy.\n * The instinct may be right - the Bible should profoundly shape my view of everything, but it isn't simple\n\n 4. Inspirational-heart-warming model\n * Verse-a-day calendars\n * Jermiah 29:11\n\n!!! warning \"\"\n\n Are we imposing a set of questions that are foreign to what the authors are\n trying to communicate? do we need to set our cultural agendas aside to just\n listen?\n\nA result of asking the wrong questions is the common story of people's faith being dismantled _by reading the Bible_\n\n!!! note \"DL Baker - Two Testaments - One Bible\"\n\n One of the most fundamental questions which has faced theology and the\n Church in every age... is whether or not Christianity also needs an Old\n Testament. Is the Old Testament to be thrown away as obsolete, or pre-\n served as a relic from days of yore, or treasured as a classic and read by\n scholars, or used occasionally as a change from the New Testament, or\n kept in a box in case it should be needed some day? Or is the Old Testa-\n ment an essential part of the Christian Bible, with continuing validity along-\n side the New Testament? —\n\n## Session 2: How Jesus and the Apostle ReadTheir Bibles\n\nThe Bible most often refers to itself as _the Writings_\n\n!!! note \"Road to Emmaus\"\n\n Jesus confronts a couple guys walking to Emmaus after he is resurrected and\n more or less calls them idiots/fools for not understanding that the\n Writings point to an annointed king who will suffer death for the sake of\n redemption. He's recognized by them once their eyes are opened then he vanishes\n\n**Weird stuff**\n\n### Paul and Timothy\n\nPaul assumes when writing to Timothy that he, and probably believers in general, are in a community of people who are regularly learning about Yahweh through the Scriptures _as a family_\n\n!!! quote \"2 Timothy 3:15-16\"\n\n ... and that from childhood you ahve known the sacred writings which are\n able to give you the wisdom that leas to salvation through faith which is\n in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for\n teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness\n\n!!! success \"\"\n\n For Paul, the `Scriptures` here are our OT, the Hebrew Bible. For Paul, the HB\n is entirely _wisdom literature_ that leads to salvation through Jesus\n\nThe question of \"What are the Scriptures?\" is covered in the next session\n\n**To answer the question 'How do we read the HB?' we have to ask the question\n'Whose book is the HB?'**\n\n## Session 3: Shape of the Scriptures\n\n`Old Testament` is the Christian term for a set of writings that comprise about\n3/4 of the Christian Bible. The authors themselves though refer to those\nwritings as `the Scriptures`. One time it is called `the Old Covenant` by Paul\n, but he's talking about Synagogue readings of the Torah portion in synagogues.\nTHe phrase `Hebrew Bible` is a modern term that is a bit more neutral.\n\n\u003e So, what is our Bible?\n\n!!! quote \"Luke 24:25-27\"\n\n 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of\n heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary\n that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”\n 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in\n all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.\n\n\u003e Moses and the Prophets\n\n### TaNaK\n\nJweish reference to the books in our OT, in the Hebrew Bible, but the arangement is different...\n\n!!! note \"TaNaK\"\n\n 1. T = Torah (first 5 books)\n 2. N - Nevi'im (Prophets: Joshua - Kings) [Christians often call these the 'historial books']\n 3. K - Ketuvim\n\n | **Torah** | **Pentateuch** |\n | --- | --- |\n | Genesis - Exodus - Leviticus - Numbers Deuteronomy | Genesis - Exodus - Leviticus - Numbers - Deuteronomy |\n | **Nevi'im - The Prophets** | **History** |\n | *Former Prophets* \u003cbr/\u003e Joshua - Judges - Samueal - Kings | Joshua - Judges - Ruth \u003cbr/\u003e 1-2 Samuel - 1-2 Kings \u003cbr/\u003e 1-2 Chronicles \u003cbr/\u003e Ezra - Nehemiah - Ester |\n | *Later Prophets* \u003cbr/\u003e Isaiah - Jeremiah - Ezekiel \u003cbr/\u003e Hosea - Joel - Amos - Obadiah - Jonah - Micah - Nahum - Habakkuk - Zephaniah - Haggai - Zechariah - Malachi | **Poetry** \u003cbr/\u003e Job - Psalms - Proverbs - Ecclesiastes - Song of Solomon |\n | **Kethuvim - The Writings** | **Prophets** |\n | Psalms - Job - Proverbs \u003cbr/\u003e Ruth - Song of Songs - Ecclesiastes - Lamentations - Esther [The Megillot] \u003cbr/\u003e Daniel - Ezra - Nehemiah - Chronicles | Isiah - Jeremiah - Lamentations \u003cbr/\u003e Ezekiel - Daniel \u003cbr/\u003e Hosea - Joel - Amos - Obadiah - Jonah - Micah - Nahum - Habakkuk - Zephaniah - Haggai - Zechariah - Malachi |\n\n!!! quote \"Luke 11:49–51 (ESV) \"\n\n 49 Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and\n apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ 50 so that the blood\n of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged\n against this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of\n Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell\n you, it will be required of this generation.\n\n\u003e Blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah...\n\nWhy would Jesus pick these two events? Abel is murdered on page 4, Zechariah is\nmurdered in the last part of Chronicles, which in the TaNaK is significant...\nJesus is saying that _all the prophets from the beginning of the Scriptures to\nthe end_... All the prophets from A-Z so to speak\n\n!!! note \"Scriptures\"\n\n \"Books\" as we know it, bound papers with writing on it, called a 'codex'\n wasn't a thing until a couple hundred years post-Jesus... so when the\n authors say \"The Scriptures\" we need to keep in mind that Jews had the\n scriptures in their minds and hearts, not on paper (save for a couple very\n expensive scrolls). So the structure of the scriptures is also apart of the\n Jewish being... This interaction with the Scriptures is _very very very\n different than how we interact with the Bible_\n\n!!! note \"4QMMT\"\n\n \"The scrolls of Moses, the words of the prophets, and of David.\"\n\n!!! note \"Philo of Alexandria\"\n\n The laws and the oracles given by inspiration through the prophets and the\n Psalms, and the other scrolls whereby knowledge and piety are increased and\n completed...\n\n - De Vita Contemplatetiva, 25\n\n### Melito of Sardis\n\n- Early 200s\n- One of the earliest Christians to talk about the books/scrolls of Christian scriptures\n- Summarizes _Christian ordering_ of the Hebrew Bible with some logic\n - Foundation narrative of the Pentateuch\n - History\n - Poetry\n - Prophets then point forward to the coming Messiah, Jesus, and the NT writings\n\n## Session 4 - Seams between Texts in the Dead Sea Scrolls\n\nAround 100-200 AD there was a split in the Jewish community over things like\nhow the Temple and sacrifices were to be run, etc. A group got kicked out, so\nthey grabbed some scrolls and went to start what we'd think of as a Monastic\ncommunity. Qumran community is where they went, and the scrolls this group\nmanaged are called the Dead Sea Scrolls.\n\nOut of DSS we have some of the oldest biblical scrolls, they have their own\nwritings and liturgies since they were all priests basically too.\n\nThe scrolls were hidden in caves before the Romans marched on Qumran. They were\nfound in the 1940s by a bunch of shepherds. A few showed up online for sale and\nthat's how we found out about their exitence.... These scrolls give us\npre-Christian Jewish Bible nerds...\n\nQumran community didn't know about Jesus - they thought the Messiah would be a\nman called _The Teacher of Righteousness_\n\n### Scroll-making\n\nThe DSS preserved for us, not only ancient biblical texts, but also the method\nby which scrolls were created. They were well-preserved papyrus that was\nstiched together - literal stitches. We also have obvious additions from Qumran\ncommunity as well as notes from priests and corrections from missed\ntranscribing.\n\n### Our Bible\n\nThe DSS scrolls, being the oldest stitched together set of scrolls, teach us\nhow scrolls and collections of ancient holy texts were put together. We need to\nkeep this in mind when we think about where our Christian Bible came from\n\nThe beginning and ending of our books might/are filled with hyperlinks that\ncall a reader's mind back to other stories. It's the way of linking context and\nstories to one another before the writings are in a codex\n\n\u003e Hyperlinks - language/syntax that remind a reader of antoher scroll - help us\n\u003e understand the structure of the Hebrew Bible\n\n!!! note \"A favorite quote from Tim\"\n\n So, you can see I'm interested in a historical question of like the\n collection [Hebrew Bible] was produced by a group of people. What did they\n mean by it? And we can actually know a lot about what they meant and locate\n them and read it the way they wanted us to read it, and pick up what\n they're saying. And, lo and behold, you know, I hope to convince you\n that—and this is all pre-Christian—what's happening here and what this all\n points to and means, fits hand in glove with how Jesus and Paul and the\n apostles talk about these texts.\n So that's different from saying nobody\n knew what these texts meant. The events of Jesus happen, and then we go\n reread it, and it has a whole new meaning that no one has ever imagined. It\n seems to me what actually happened in history was a little more interesting\n and complicated than that. [17:30-18:21]\n", "summary": "Class link Classroom notes (Must be on home network)", "date_published": "2022-11-05T06:27:40Z", "date_modified": "2022-11-05T06:27:40Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "bible-project", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/faithful/", "url": "https://pype.dev/faithful/", "title": "Faithful", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://bibleproject.com/bible-studies/faithful/\"\u003eLink\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"notes\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eNotes\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eExodus 34:6\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCompassioante and gracious, slow to anger, overflowing with loyal love and faithfulness\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFaithfulness - Emet (can be translated \u0026lsquo;Truth\u0026rsquo;)\nRelated to \u0026ldquo;Amen\u0026rdquo; which is untranslated Hebrew expression meaning \u0026ldquo;that\u0026rsquo;s truth\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"stability\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eStability\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#stability\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMoses has to hold his hands up when Israel faces the Amalekites. Joshua (and another) bring Moses a rock to sit on and hold is hands up so they could be Emet.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"people\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003ePeople\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#people\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDescribs trustiworthiness\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExodus 18:21 - Moses apoints leaders are to be \u0026ldquo;Emet\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"god-and-promises\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eGod and promises\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#god-and-promises\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod is a rock - he is faithful, just, and upright\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHebrew word for trust is He\u0026rsquo;Emin which is the verb form of Emet\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbraham considers God Emet, he He\u0026rsquo;Emin\u0026rsquo;s God and God blesses this by creating Isreal.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIsrael, In Exodus 14:31, He\u0026rsquo;Emin\u0026rsquo;s God (until they see the gians in Canaan that is)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 Kings 1:6 says David walked in Emet with God\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2 Samuel 7:16, God blesses David and says his kingdom will have Emet\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRomans 15:8-9 says Jesus came on behalf of God\u0026rsquo;s faithfulness.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"questions\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eQuestions\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Hebrew word “emet” is translated with words like “faithful,”\n“reliable,” “sure,” “trustworthy,” and “amen.” Read aloud Psalm 36:5-6 ,\nPsalm 19:7 , and Psalm 41:13 and discuss what the psalmists are\ncommunicating in these passages when they use the word “emet.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePsalms 36:5-6\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e5Your lovingkindness, O Lord, extends to the heavens,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYour faithfulness reaches to the skies.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e6Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYour judgments are like a great deep.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eO Lord, You preserve man and beast.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePsalms 19:7\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e7The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePsalms 41:13\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e13Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom everlasting to everlasting.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmen and Amen.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI think the lesson here is pretty simple - God is faithful, full stop. His\nfaithfulness doesn\u0026rsquo;t look necessarily like how we might want\u0026hellip; when I was a\nkid I would be upset if my parents didn\u0026rsquo;t respond to me in the way I wanted,\nand my kids will certainly share that disappointment. But I am faithful to my\nchildren - sometimes the main issue is a child\u0026rsquo;s outlook on a situation or\nworldview. I think that metaphor holds true in relation to humans and Yahweh -\nhe sees the whole world, we see a part of it so we cannot understand\nfaithfulness fully, in the same way that my children can\u0026rsquo;t understand my\nfaithfulness to them fully - even to the point of being upset or thinking that\n\u003cem\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m not being faithful\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod promised the Israelites that he would give them a king of peace that\nwould rule forever and ever (e.g. 2 Samuel 7:16). However, Israel’s kingdom\ncollapsed and they found themselves without a home or a king. Compare the\nbeginning of Psalm 89 (vv. 1-10) with the way it closes (vv. 46-52). What\ndo you think it practically looks like to trust God when all seems lost?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e2 Samuel 7:16\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e16Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ePSALM 89\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Lord’s Covenant with David, and Israel’s Afflictions.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1I will sing of the lovingkindness of the Lord forever;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2For I have said, “Lovingkindness will be built up forever;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the heavens You will establish Your faithfulness.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e3“I have made a covenant with My chosen;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have sworn to David My servant,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e4I will establish your seed forever\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd build up your throne to all generations.” Selah.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e5The heavens will praise Your wonders, O Lord;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYour faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e6For who in the skies is comparable to the Lord?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWho among the sons of the mighty is like the Lord,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e7A God greatly feared in the council of the holy ones,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd awesome above all those who are around Him?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e8O Lord God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty Lord?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYour faithfulness also surrounds You.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e9You rule the swelling of the sea;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUltimately, God answers the psalmist’s cries in the person of Jesus. Compare 2 Samuel 7:16\n2 Samuel 7:16\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e16Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eto Hebrews 1:8-9\nHebrews 1:8-9\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e8But of the Son He says,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e9You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTherefore God, Your God, has anointed You\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith the oil of gladness above Your companions.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e. How does King Jesus embody and fulfill the ancient promises of God (e.g. John 1:14\nJohn 1:14\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Word Made Flesh\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e14And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e, Hebrews 3:5-6\nHebrews 3:5-6\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e5Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; 6but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e, and Romans 15:8-9\nRomans 15:8-9\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e8For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers, 9and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Therefore I will give praise to You among the Gentiles,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd I will sing to Your name.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e)?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRead Hebrews 10:22-25\nHebrews 10:22-25\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e22let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e, Hebrews 11\nHebrews 11\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Triumphs of Faith\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2For by it the men of old gained approval.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e3By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. 4By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks. 5By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. 6And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. 7By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e8By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; 10for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. 12Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e13All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. 15And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e17By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; 18it was he to whom it was said, “In Isaac your descendants shall be called.” 19He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type. 20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come. 21By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. 22By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e23By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 24By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. 27By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen. 28By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them. 29By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e30By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. 31By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e32And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, 33who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; 36and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. 37They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38(men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e39And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e, and Hebrews 12:1-3\nHebrews 12:1-3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus, the Example\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e3For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e. After reading these passages, name one example of what it looks like to put our trust in God.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n[Link](https://bibleproject.com/bible-studies/faithful/)\n\n# Notes\n\n!!! quote \"Exodus 34:6\"\n\n Compassioante and gracious, slow to anger, overflowing with loyal love and faithfulness\n\nFaithfulness - Emet (can be translated 'Truth')\nRelated to \"Amen\" which is untranslated Hebrew expression meaning \"that's truth\"\n\n## Stability\n\nMoses has to hold his hands up when Israel faces the Amalekites. Joshua (and another) bring Moses a rock to sit on and hold is hands up so they could be Emet.\n\n## People\n\nDescribs trustiworthiness \n\nExodus 18:21 - Moses apoints leaders are to be \"Emet\"\n\n## God and promises\n\nGod is a rock - he is faithful, just, and upright\n\nHebrew word for trust is He'Emin which is the verb form of Emet\n\nAbraham considers God Emet, he He'Emin's God and God blesses this by creating Isreal.\n\nIsrael, In Exodus 14:31, He'Emin's God (until they see the gians in Canaan that is)\n\n1 Kings 1:6 says David walked in Emet with God\n\n2 Samuel 7:16, God blesses David and says his kingdom will have Emet\n\nRomans 15:8-9 says Jesus came on behalf of God's faithfulness.\n\n# Questions\n\n!!! note \"1\"\n\n The Hebrew word “emet” is translated with words like “faithful,”\n “reliable,” “sure,” “trustworthy,” and “amen.” Read aloud Psalm 36:5-6 ,\n Psalm 19:7 , and Psalm 41:13 and discuss what the psalmists are\n communicating in these passages when they use the word “emet.”\n\n!!! quote \"Psalms 36:5-6\"\n\n 5Your lovingkindness, O Lord, extends to the heavens,\n\n Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.\n\n 6Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;\n\n Your judgments are like a great deep.\n\n O Lord, You preserve man and beast.\n\n\n!!! quote \"Psalms 19:7\"\n\n 7The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;\n\n The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.\n\n\n!!! quote \"Psalms 41:13\"\n\n\n 13Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,\n\n From everlasting to everlasting.\n\n Amen and Amen.\n\n\nI think the lesson here is pretty simple - God is faithful, full stop. His\nfaithfulness doesn't look necessarily like how we might want... when I was a\nkid I would be upset if my parents didn't respond to me in the way I wanted,\nand my kids will certainly share that disappointment. But I am faithful to my\nchildren - sometimes the main issue is a child's outlook on a situation or\nworldview. I think that metaphor holds true in relation to humans and Yahweh -\nhe sees the whole world, we see a part of it so we cannot understand\nfaithfulness fully, in the same way that my children can't understand my\nfaithfulness to them fully - even to the point of being upset or thinking that\n_I'm not being faithful_\n\n!!! note \"2\"\n\n God promised the Israelites that he would give them a king of peace that\n would rule forever and ever (e.g. 2 Samuel 7:16). However, Israel’s kingdom\n collapsed and they found themselves without a home or a king. Compare the\n beginning of Psalm 89 (vv. 1-10) with the way it closes (vv. 46-52). What\n do you think it practically looks like to trust God when all seems lost?\n\n!!! quote \"2 Samuel 7:16\"\n\n 16Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”\n\n!!! quote \"PSALM 89\"\n\n The Lord’s Covenant with David, and Israel’s Afflictions.\n\n A Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.\n\n 1I will sing of the lovingkindness of the Lord forever;\n\n To all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth.\n\n 2For I have said, “Lovingkindness will be built up forever;\n\n In the heavens You will establish Your faithfulness.”\n\n 3“I have made a covenant with My chosen;\n\n I have sworn to David My servant,\n\n 4I will establish your seed forever\n\n And build up your throne to all generations.” Selah.\n\n 5The heavens will praise Your wonders, O Lord;\n\n Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones.\n\n 6For who in the skies is comparable to the Lord?\n\n Who among the sons of the mighty is like the Lord,\n\n 7A God greatly feared in the council of the holy ones,\n\n And awesome above all those who are around Him?\n\n 8O Lord God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty Lord?\n\n Your faithfulness also surrounds You.\n\n 9You rule the swelling of the sea;\n\n\n!!! note \"3\"\n\n Ultimately, God answers the psalmist’s cries in the person of Jesus. Compare 2 Samuel 7:16\n 2 Samuel 7:16\n\n 16Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”\n\n to Hebrews 1:8-9\n Hebrews 1:8-9\n\n 8But of the Son He says,\n\n “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,\n\n And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.\n\n 9You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;\n\n Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You\n\n With the oil of gladness above Your companions.”\n\n . How does King Jesus embody and fulfill the ancient promises of God (e.g. John 1:14\n John 1:14\n\n The Word Made Flesh\n\n 14And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.\n\n , Hebrews 3:5-6\n Hebrews 3:5-6\n\n 5Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; 6but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.\n\n , and Romans 15:8-9\n Romans 15:8-9\n\n 8For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers, 9and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written,\n\n “Therefore I will give praise to You among the Gentiles,\n\n And I will sing to Your name.”\n\n )?\n!!! note \"4\"\n\n Read Hebrews 10:22-25\n Hebrews 10:22-25\n\n 22let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.\n\n , Hebrews 11\n Hebrews 11\n\n The Triumphs of Faith\n\n 1Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2For by it the men of old gained approval.\n\n 3By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. 4By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks. 5By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. 6And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. 7By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.\n\n 8By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; 10for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. 12Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.\n\n 13All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. 15And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.\n\n 17By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; 18it was he to whom it was said, “In Isaac your descendants shall be called.” 19He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type. 20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come. 21By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. 22By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.\n\n 23By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 24By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. 27By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen. 28By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them. 29By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.\n\n 30By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. 31By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.\n\n 32And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, 33who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; 36and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. 37They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38(men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.\n\n 39And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.\n\n , and Hebrews 12:1-3\n Hebrews 12:1-3\n\n Jesus, the Example\n\n 1Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.\n\n 3For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.\n\n . After reading these passages, name one example of what it looks like to put our trust in God.\n", "summary": "Link", "date_published": "2022-10-21T06:31:33Z", "date_modified": "2022-10-21T06:31:33Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "bible-project", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/sabbath/", "url": "https://pype.dev/sabbath/", "title": "Sabbath", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://bibleproject.com/bible-studies/sabbath/\"\u003eLink to study\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"creation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eCreation\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrougt to completion on the seventh day in Genesis 1. It is the only day that\ndoes not end with \u0026rsquo;there evening and there was morning, the Nth day'\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHumans were meant to rest with God in his creation forever, but in their\nrebllion they are sentenced to work as slaves to the land. The rest of the\nhsitory of God\u0026rsquo;s people consists of them looking for God\u0026rsquo;s rest, but\nconsistently falling back into slavery/(fallen) work.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"sabbath\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eSabbath\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#sabbath\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCelebated every week on the 7th day. The idea is to live in the eternal rest that God offered in creation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"jubilee\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eJubilee\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#jubilee\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery 7 * 7 years is the Ultimate Sabbath - the land is reset (or was supposed\nto be), everything was returned to the original owner, debt does not persist -\neverything resets so everyone can rest.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"jesus\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eJesus\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus calls himself the Lord of the Sabbath. He claimed to bring the ultimate\nrest of God. Jesus was crucified at a specific time - on Good Friday, and he\nrose again on the following Sunday\u0026hellip; which is the first day of the next week\n\u003cem\u003eor\u003c/em\u003e the 8th day\u0026hellip; the first day of a new age, a new rest, God\u0026rsquo;s ultimate\nsabbath that is symbolized in the 7th day of creation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"questions\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eQuestions\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHow does the author of Genesis conclude each of the seven days of creation?\nConsider the seventh day of creation as an ultimate rest day. What do you\nthink it would be like to always live in that rest with God?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eGenesis 1:5,8,13,19,23,31; 2:1-3 5\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e5God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was\nevening and there was morning, one day.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e8God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was\nmorning, a second day.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e13There was evening and there was morning, a third day.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e19There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e23There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e31God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was\nevening and there was morning, the sixth day.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Creation of Man and Woman\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. 2By\nthe seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on\nthe seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3Then God blessed the\nseventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work\nwhich God had created and made.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI imagine it would\u0026rsquo;ve looked a lot like enjoying the creation\u0026hellip; I work at\nthings I love, and that can be restful to me - I find purpose and order in my\nhobbies and so I bet life would be like that. The work woudl be productive but\nnot toilsome.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRead Genesis 3:1-7 and 3:21-24 What were the humans tempted to believe\nabout God and themselves? How did they act on these beliefs, and how did\nthis choice exile them from the place of rest? How do you think lies about\nGod and ourselves prevent us from resting with God today?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eGenesis 3:1-7,21-24\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Fall of Man\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord\nGod had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall\nnot eat from any tree of the garden’?” 2The woman said to the serpent,\n“From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3but from the fruit\nof the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall\nnot eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” 4The serpent said to the\nwoman, “You surely will not die! 5For God knows that in the day you eat\nfrom it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good\nand evil.” 6When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it\nwas a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one\nwise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband\nwith her, and he ate. 7Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they\nknew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made\nthemselves loin coverings.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e21The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam\nand his wife, and clothed them. 22Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man\nhas become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch\nout his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live\nforever”— 23therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to\ncultivate the ground from which he was taken. 24So He drove the man out;\nand at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the\nflaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of\nlife.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHumans are templted to believe that God is witholding desirableble information\nthey are templted to \u003cem\u003ebe like God\u003c/em\u003e. They are templted to believe that they\nwould be right to knowing good and evil (ironic since they know it\u0026rsquo;s bad to eat\nof the Tree of Knowledge anyways)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey acted by listening to the serpent, and to themselves\u0026hellip; essentially they\nchose to not listen and adhere to Yahweh. This choice represents stark and\nobvious rebellion. Yahweh, I think, sees that his creation are tempted to go\ntheir own way, and for their own protection exiles them from the Garden.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt seems like lies haven\u0026rsquo;t changed; ultimately we are still tempted to define\ngood and evil/bad for ourselves. I take action by defining wicked things as\ngood - made obvious by the fact that I choose to sin often, choose to not\nlisten to Yahweh. Actively listening to myself is exhausting. I think there\u0026rsquo;s a\nlot to discussing \u0026ldquo;God\u0026rsquo;s rest\u0026rdquo;, but a high and almost trivial level, I am\nsimply less tired when my life is more in step with God\u0026rsquo;s definitions of good\nand bad\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod wants to restore humanity to ultimate rest, so he chooses the\nIsraelites to reenact his seventh-day rest so they can share it with\nothers. Of all the ways he invites them to practice rest which practice are\nyou least familiar with today?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eExodus 20:8-11\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e8“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9Six days you shall labor and\ndo all your work, 10but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God;\nin it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your\nmale or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with\nyou. 11For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and\nall that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord\nblessed the sabbath day and made it holy.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eLeviticus 23:1-3; 25:8-13\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLaws of Religious Festivals\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1The Lord spoke again to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the sons of Israel and\nsay to them, ‘The Lord’s appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy\nconvocations—My appointed times are these:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e3‘For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath\nof complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a\nsabbath to the Lord in all your dwellings.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e8‘You are also to count off seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven\ntimes seven years, so that you have the time of the seven sabbaths of\nyears, namely, forty-nine years. 9You shall then sound a ram’s horn abroad\non the tenth day of the seventh month; on the day of atonement you shall\nsound a horn all through your land. 10You shall thus consecrate the\nfiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its\ninhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to\nhis own property, and each of you shall return to his family. 11You shall\nhave the fiftieth year as a jubilee; you shall not sow, nor reap its\naftergrowth, nor gather in from its untrimmed vines. 12For it is a jubilee;\nit shall be holy to you. You shall eat its crops out of the field.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e13‘On this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his own property.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus comes to restore us to God’s eternal rest! How does Jesus launch his\npublic ministry? Read Luke 4:14-21, noting that the year of favor refers to\nthe ultimate Jubilee—Israel’s super-charged Sabbath\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat do you observe?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eLuke 4:14-21\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus’ Public Ministry\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e14And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about\nHim spread through all the surrounding district. 15And He began teaching in\ntheir synagogues and was praised by all.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e16And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His\ncustom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read.\n17And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the\nbook and found the place where it was written,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e18“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBecause He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd recovery of sight to the blind,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo set free those who are oppressed,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e19To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e20And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and\nthe eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21And He began to say\nto them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eLeviticus 25\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Sabbatic Year and Year of Jubilee\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1The Lord then spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai, saying, 2“Speak to the sons\nof Israel and say to them, ‘When you come into the land which I shall give\nyou, then the land shall have a sabbath to the Lord. 3Six years you shall\nsow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in\nits crop, 4but during the seventh year the land shall have a sabbath rest,\na sabbath to the Lord; you shall not sow your field nor prune your\nvineyard. 5Your harvest’s aftergrowth you shall not reap, and your grapes\nof untrimmed vines you shall not gather; the land shall have a sabbatical\nyear. 6All of you shall have the sabbath products of the land for food;\nyourself, and your male and female slaves, and your hired man and your\nforeign resident, those who live as aliens with you. 7Even your cattle and\nthe animals that are in your land shall have all its crops to eat.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e8‘You are also to count off seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven\ntimes seven years, so that you have the time of the seven sabbaths of\nyears, namely, forty-nine years. 9You shall then sound a ram’s horn abroad\non the tenth day of the seventh month; on the day of atonement you shall\nsound a horn all through your land. 10You shall thus consecrate the\nfiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its\ninhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to\nhis own property, and each of you shall return to his family. 11You shall\nhave the fiftieth year as a jubilee; you shall not sow, nor reap its\naftergrowth, nor gather in from its untrimmed vines. 12For it is a jubilee;\nit shall be holy to you. You shall eat its crops out of the field.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e13‘On this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his own property.\n14If you make a sale, moreover, to your friend or buy from your friend’s\nhand, you shall not wrong one another. 15Corresponding to the number of\nyears after the jubilee, you shall buy from your friend; he is to sell to\nyou according to the number of years of crops. 16In proportion to the\nextent of the years you shall increase its price, and in proportion to the\nfewness of the years you shall diminish its price, for it is a number of\ncrops he is selling to you. 17So you shall not wrong one another, but you\nshall fear your God; for I am the Lord your God.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e18‘You shall thus observe My statutes and keep My judgments, so as to carry\nthem out, that you may live securely on the land. 19Then the land will\nyield its produce, so that you can eat your fill and live securely on it.\n20But if you say, “What are we going to eat on the seventh year if we do\nnot sow or gather in our crops?” 21then I will so order My blessing for you\nin the sixth year that it will bring forth the crop for three years. 22When\nyou are sowing the eighth year, you can still eat old things from the crop,\neating the old until the ninth year when its crop comes in.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Law of Redemption\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e23‘The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine;\nfor you are but aliens and sojourners with Me. 24Thus for every piece of\nyour property, you are to provide for the redemption of the land.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e25‘If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor he has to sell part of\nhis property, then his nearest kinsman is to come and buy back what his\nrelative has sold. 26Or in case a man has no kinsman, but so recovers his\nmeans as to find sufficient for its redemption, 27then he shall calculate\nthe years since its sale and refund the balance to the man to whom he sold\nit, and so return to his property. 28But if he has not found sufficient\nmeans to get it back for himself, then what he has sold shall remain in the\nhands of its purchaser until the year of jubilee; but at the jubilee it\nshall revert, that he may return to his property.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e29‘Likewise, if a man sells a dwelling house in a walled city, then his\nredemption right remains valid until a full year from its sale; his right\nof redemption lasts a full year. 30But if it is not bought back for him\nwithin the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city\npasses permanently to its purchaser throughout his generations; it does not\nrevert in the jubilee. 31The houses of the villages, however, which have no\nsurrounding wall shall be considered as open fields; they have redemption\nrights and revert in the jubilee. 32As for cities of the Levites, the\nLevites have a permanent right of redemption for the houses of the cities\nwhich are their possession. 33What, therefore, belongs to the Levites may\nbe redeemed and a house sale in the city of this possession reverts in the\njubilee, for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession\namong the sons of Israel. 34But pasture fields of their cities shall not be\nsold, for that is their perpetual possession.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOf Poor Countrymen\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e35‘Now in case a countryman of yours becomes poor and his means with regard\nto you falter, then you are to sustain him, like a stranger or a sojourner,\nthat he may live with you. 36Do not take usurious interest from him, but\nrevere your God, that your countryman may live with you. 37You shall not\ngive him your silver at interest, nor your food for gain. 38I am the Lord\nyour God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of\nCanaan and to be your God.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e39‘If a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to you that he\nsells himself to you, you shall not subject him to a slave’s service. 40He\nshall be with you as a hired man, as if he were a sojourner; he shall serve\nwith you until the year of jubilee. 41He shall then go out from you, he and\nhis sons with him, and shall go back to his family, that he may return to\nthe property of his forefathers. 42For they are My servants whom I brought\nout from the land of Egypt; they are not to be sold in a slave sale. 43You\nshall not rule over him with severity, but are to revere your God. 44As for\nyour male and female slaves whom you may have—you may acquire male and\nfemale slaves from the pagan nations that are around you. 45Then, too, it\nis out of the sons of the sojourners who live as aliens among you that you\nmay gain acquisition, and out of their families who are with you, whom they\nwill have produced in your land; they also may become your possession.\n46You may even bequeath them to your sons after you, to receive as a\npossession; you can use them as permanent slaves. But in respect to your\ncountrymen, the sons of Israel, you shall not rule with severity over one\nanother.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOf Redeeming a Poor Man\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e47‘Now if the means of a stranger or of a sojourner with you becomes\nsufficient, and a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to him as\nto sell himself to a stranger who is sojourning with you, or to the\ndescendants of a stranger’s family, 48then he shall have redemption right\nafter he has been sold. One of his brothers may redeem him, 49or his uncle,\nor his uncle’s son, may redeem him, or one of his blood relatives from his\nfamily may redeem him; or if he prospers, he may redeem himself. 50He then\nwith his purchaser shall calculate from the year when he sold himself to\nhim up to the year of jubilee; and the price of his sale shall correspond\nto the number of years. It is like the days of a hired man that he shall be\nwith him. 51If there are still many years, he shall refund part of his\npurchase price in proportion to them for his own redemption; 52and if few\nyears remain until the year of jubilee, he shall so calculate with him. In\nproportion to his years he is to refund the amount for his redemption.\n53Like a man hired year by year he shall be with him; he shall not rule\nover him with severity in your sight. 54Even if he is not redeemed by these\nmeans, he shall still go out in the year of jubilee, he and his sons with\nhim. 55For the sons of Israel are My servants; they are My servants whom I\nbrought out from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat is one specific way Jesus invites us to receive and practice true rest\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eMatthew 11:28-29\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e28“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.\n29Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in\nheart, and you will find rest for your souls.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n[Link to study](https://bibleproject.com/bible-studies/sabbath/)\n\n# Creation\n\nBrougt to completion on the seventh day in Genesis 1. It is the only day that\ndoes not end with 'there evening and there was morning, the Nth day'\n\nHumans were meant to rest with God in his creation forever, but in their\nrebllion they are sentenced to work as slaves to the land. The rest of the\nhsitory of God's people consists of them looking for God's rest, but\nconsistently falling back into slavery/(fallen) work.\n\n## Sabbath\n\nCelebated every week on the 7th day. The idea is to live in the eternal rest that God offered in creation.\n\n## Jubilee\n\nEvery 7 * 7 years is the Ultimate Sabbath - the land is reset (or was supposed\nto be), everything was returned to the original owner, debt does not persist -\neverything resets so everyone can rest.\n\n# Jesus\n\nJesus calls himself the Lord of the Sabbath. He claimed to bring the ultimate\nrest of God. Jesus was crucified at a specific time - on Good Friday, and he\nrose again on the following Sunday... which is the first day of the next week\n_or_ the 8th day... the first day of a new age, a new rest, God's ultimate\nsabbath that is symbolized in the 7th day of creation.\n\n# Questions\n\n!!! note \"1\"\n\n How does the author of Genesis conclude each of the seven days of creation?\n Consider the seventh day of creation as an ultimate rest day. What do you\n think it would be like to always live in that rest with God?\n\n!!! quote \"Genesis 1:5,8,13,19,23,31; 2:1-3 5\"\n\n 5God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was\n evening and there was morning, one day.\n\n 8God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was\n morning, a second day.\n\n 13There was evening and there was morning, a third day.\n\n 19There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.\n\n 23There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.\n\n 31God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was\n evening and there was morning, the sixth day.\n\n The Creation of Man and Woman\n\n 1Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. 2By\n the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on\n the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3Then God blessed the\n seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work\n which God had created and made.\n\nI imagine it would've looked a lot like enjoying the creation... I work at\nthings I love, and that can be restful to me - I find purpose and order in my\nhobbies and so I bet life would be like that. The work woudl be productive but\nnot toilsome.\n\n\n!!! note \"2\"\n\n Read Genesis 3:1-7 and 3:21-24 What were the humans tempted to believe\n about God and themselves? How did they act on these beliefs, and how did\n this choice exile them from the place of rest? How do you think lies about\n God and ourselves prevent us from resting with God today?\n\n!!! quote \"Genesis 3:1-7,21-24\"\n\n The Fall of Man\n\n 1Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord\n God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall\n not eat from any tree of the garden’?” 2The woman said to the serpent,\n “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3but from the fruit\n of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall\n not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” 4The serpent said to the\n woman, “You surely will not die! 5For God knows that in the day you eat\n from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good\n and evil.” 6When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it\n was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one\n wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband\n with her, and he ate. 7Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they\n knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made\n themselves loin coverings. \n\n 21The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam\n and his wife, and clothed them. 22Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man\n has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch\n out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live\n forever”— 23therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to\n cultivate the ground from which he was taken. 24So He drove the man out;\n and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the\n flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of\n life.\n\nHumans are templted to believe that God is witholding desirableble information\nthey are templted to _be like God_. They are templted to believe that they\nwould be right to knowing good and evil (ironic since they know it's bad to eat\nof the Tree of Knowledge anyways)\n\nThey acted by listening to the serpent, and to themselves... essentially they\nchose to not listen and adhere to Yahweh. This choice represents stark and\nobvious rebellion. Yahweh, I think, sees that his creation are tempted to go\ntheir own way, and for their own protection exiles them from the Garden.\n\nIt seems like lies haven't changed; ultimately we are still tempted to define\ngood and evil/bad for ourselves. I take action by defining wicked things as\ngood - made obvious by the fact that I choose to sin often, choose to not\nlisten to Yahweh. Actively listening to myself is exhausting. I think there's a\nlot to discussing \"God's rest\", but a high and almost trivial level, I am\nsimply less tired when my life is more in step with God's definitions of good\nand bad\n\n!!! note \"3\"\n\n God wants to restore humanity to ultimate rest, so he chooses the\n Israelites to reenact his seventh-day rest so they can share it with\n others. Of all the ways he invites them to practice rest which practice are\n you least familiar with today?\n\n!!! quote \"Exodus 20:8-11\"\n\n 8“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9Six days you shall labor and\n do all your work, 10but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God;\n in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your\n male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with\n you. 11For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and\n all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord\n blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.\n\n!!! quote \"Leviticus 23:1-3; 25:8-13\"\n\n Laws of Religious Festivals\n\n 1The Lord spoke again to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the sons of Israel and\n say to them, ‘The Lord’s appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy\n convocations—My appointed times are these:\n\n 3‘For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath\n of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a\n sabbath to the Lord in all your dwellings.\n\n 8‘You are also to count off seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven\n times seven years, so that you have the time of the seven sabbaths of\n years, namely, forty-nine years. 9You shall then sound a ram’s horn abroad\n on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the day of atonement you shall\n sound a horn all through your land. 10You shall thus consecrate the\n fiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its\n inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to\n his own property, and each of you shall return to his family. 11You shall\n have the fiftieth year as a jubilee; you shall not sow, nor reap its\n aftergrowth, nor gather in from its untrimmed vines. 12For it is a jubilee;\n it shall be holy to you. You shall eat its crops out of the field.\n\n 13‘On this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his own property.\n\n\n!!! note \"4\"\n\n Jesus comes to restore us to God’s eternal rest! How does Jesus launch his\n public ministry? Read Luke 4:14-21, noting that the year of favor refers to\n the ultimate Jubilee—Israel’s super-charged Sabbath \n\n What do you observe?\n\n!!! quote \"Luke 4:14-21\"\n\n Jesus’ Public Ministry\n\n 14And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about\n Him spread through all the surrounding district. 15And He began teaching in\n their synagogues and was praised by all.\n\n 16And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His\n custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read.\n 17And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the\n book and found the place where it was written,\n\n 18“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,\n\n Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.\n\n He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,\n\n And recovery of sight to the blind,\n\n To set free those who are oppressed,\n\n 19To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”\n\n 20And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and\n the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21And He began to say\n to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”\n\n!!! quote \"Leviticus 25\"\n\n The Sabbatic Year and Year of Jubilee\n\n 1The Lord then spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai, saying, 2“Speak to the sons\n of Israel and say to them, ‘When you come into the land which I shall give\n you, then the land shall have a sabbath to the Lord. 3Six years you shall\n sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in\n its crop, 4but during the seventh year the land shall have a sabbath rest,\n a sabbath to the Lord; you shall not sow your field nor prune your\n vineyard. 5Your harvest’s aftergrowth you shall not reap, and your grapes\n of untrimmed vines you shall not gather; the land shall have a sabbatical\n year. 6All of you shall have the sabbath products of the land for food;\n yourself, and your male and female slaves, and your hired man and your\n foreign resident, those who live as aliens with you. 7Even your cattle and\n the animals that are in your land shall have all its crops to eat.\n\n 8‘You are also to count off seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven\n times seven years, so that you have the time of the seven sabbaths of\n years, namely, forty-nine years. 9You shall then sound a ram’s horn abroad\n on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the day of atonement you shall\n sound a horn all through your land. 10You shall thus consecrate the\n fiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its\n inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to\n his own property, and each of you shall return to his family. 11You shall\n have the fiftieth year as a jubilee; you shall not sow, nor reap its\n aftergrowth, nor gather in from its untrimmed vines. 12For it is a jubilee;\n it shall be holy to you. You shall eat its crops out of the field.\n\n 13‘On this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his own property.\n 14If you make a sale, moreover, to your friend or buy from your friend’s\n hand, you shall not wrong one another. 15Corresponding to the number of\n years after the jubilee, you shall buy from your friend; he is to sell to\n you according to the number of years of crops. 16In proportion to the\n extent of the years you shall increase its price, and in proportion to the\n fewness of the years you shall diminish its price, for it is a number of\n crops he is selling to you. 17So you shall not wrong one another, but you\n shall fear your God; for I am the Lord your God.\n\n 18‘You shall thus observe My statutes and keep My judgments, so as to carry\n them out, that you may live securely on the land. 19Then the land will\n yield its produce, so that you can eat your fill and live securely on it.\n 20But if you say, “What are we going to eat on the seventh year if we do\n not sow or gather in our crops?” 21then I will so order My blessing for you\n in the sixth year that it will bring forth the crop for three years. 22When\n you are sowing the eighth year, you can still eat old things from the crop,\n eating the old until the ninth year when its crop comes in.\n\n The Law of Redemption\n\n 23‘The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine;\n for you are but aliens and sojourners with Me. 24Thus for every piece of\n your property, you are to provide for the redemption of the land.\n\n 25‘If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor he has to sell part of\n his property, then his nearest kinsman is to come and buy back what his\n relative has sold. 26Or in case a man has no kinsman, but so recovers his\n means as to find sufficient for its redemption, 27then he shall calculate\n the years since its sale and refund the balance to the man to whom he sold\n it, and so return to his property. 28But if he has not found sufficient\n means to get it back for himself, then what he has sold shall remain in the\n hands of its purchaser until the year of jubilee; but at the jubilee it\n shall revert, that he may return to his property.\n\n 29‘Likewise, if a man sells a dwelling house in a walled city, then his\n redemption right remains valid until a full year from its sale; his right\n of redemption lasts a full year. 30But if it is not bought back for him\n within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city\n passes permanently to its purchaser throughout his generations; it does not\n revert in the jubilee. 31The houses of the villages, however, which have no\n surrounding wall shall be considered as open fields; they have redemption\n rights and revert in the jubilee. 32As for cities of the Levites, the\n Levites have a permanent right of redemption for the houses of the cities\n which are their possession. 33What, therefore, belongs to the Levites may\n be redeemed and a house sale in the city of this possession reverts in the\n jubilee, for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession\n among the sons of Israel. 34But pasture fields of their cities shall not be\n sold, for that is their perpetual possession.\n\n Of Poor Countrymen\n\n 35‘Now in case a countryman of yours becomes poor and his means with regard\n to you falter, then you are to sustain him, like a stranger or a sojourner,\n that he may live with you. 36Do not take usurious interest from him, but\n revere your God, that your countryman may live with you. 37You shall not\n give him your silver at interest, nor your food for gain. 38I am the Lord\n your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of\n Canaan and to be your God.\n\n 39‘If a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to you that he\n sells himself to you, you shall not subject him to a slave’s service. 40He\n shall be with you as a hired man, as if he were a sojourner; he shall serve\n with you until the year of jubilee. 41He shall then go out from you, he and\n his sons with him, and shall go back to his family, that he may return to\n the property of his forefathers. 42For they are My servants whom I brought\n out from the land of Egypt; they are not to be sold in a slave sale. 43You\n shall not rule over him with severity, but are to revere your God. 44As for\n your male and female slaves whom you may have—you may acquire male and\n female slaves from the pagan nations that are around you. 45Then, too, it\n is out of the sons of the sojourners who live as aliens among you that you\n may gain acquisition, and out of their families who are with you, whom they\n will have produced in your land; they also may become your possession.\n 46You may even bequeath them to your sons after you, to receive as a\n possession; you can use them as permanent slaves. But in respect to your\n countrymen, the sons of Israel, you shall not rule with severity over one\n another.\n\n Of Redeeming a Poor Man\n\n 47‘Now if the means of a stranger or of a sojourner with you becomes\n sufficient, and a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to him as\n to sell himself to a stranger who is sojourning with you, or to the\n descendants of a stranger’s family, 48then he shall have redemption right\n after he has been sold. One of his brothers may redeem him, 49or his uncle,\n or his uncle’s son, may redeem him, or one of his blood relatives from his\n family may redeem him; or if he prospers, he may redeem himself. 50He then\n with his purchaser shall calculate from the year when he sold himself to\n him up to the year of jubilee; and the price of his sale shall correspond\n to the number of years. It is like the days of a hired man that he shall be\n with him. 51If there are still many years, he shall refund part of his\n purchase price in proportion to them for his own redemption; 52and if few\n years remain until the year of jubilee, he shall so calculate with him. In\n proportion to his years he is to refund the amount for his redemption.\n 53Like a man hired year by year he shall be with him; he shall not rule\n over him with severity in your sight. 54Even if he is not redeemed by these\n means, he shall still go out in the year of jubilee, he and his sons with\n him. 55For the sons of Israel are My servants; they are My servants whom I\n brought out from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.\n\n\n!!! note \"5\"\n\n What is one specific way Jesus invites us to receive and practice true rest\n\n!!! quote \"Matthew 11:28-29\"\n\n 28“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.\n 29Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in\n heart, and you will find rest for your souls.\n\n", "summary": "Link to study", "date_published": "2022-10-13T06:34:52Z", "date_modified": "2022-10-13T06:34:52Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "bible-project", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/chara-joy/", "url": "https://pype.dev/chara-joy/", "title": "Chara-Joy", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://bibleprojectz.com/bible-studies/chara-joy/\"\u003elink\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"chara-joy\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChara / Joy\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are several words for similar feelings - example like \u003ccode\u003ejoy\u003c/code\u003e has several synonyms.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"sources\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eSources\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#sources\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGenesis tells us creation and life bring joy\nPsalm 104 - A good bottle of wine is God\u0026rsquo;s gift to bring joy to people\u0026rsquo;s hearts\nP#lm 65 - Beautiful things bring joy\nJeremiah 33:11 - Weddings\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"corruption\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eCorruption\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#corruption\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBible shows us that humanity and brokenness mark our world by death and loss\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"joy-in-spite-of-corruption\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eJoy in spite of corruption\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#joy-in-spite-of-corruption\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod\u0026rsquo;s people have reasons in God\u0026rsquo;s faithfulness to be joyful.\nJoy in the LORD is not determinmed by current struggles, but by future hope and deliverance\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"jesus\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eJesus\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#jesus\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis birth gives good news and brings great joy\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMatthew 5 - Jesus says to rejoice and be glad when we are persecuted for his Name\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"apostles\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eApostles\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#apostles\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaul says he chooses joy when he is in jail\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eNote\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJoy is a \u003cem\u003echoice\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2 Corinthians 6:10 -\u0026gt; Paul is filled with sorrow and yet rejoicing\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition success\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eSuccess\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChristian joy is rooted in future hope and expectation of a Messiah, of\nJesus, to come again. It is a profound choice, not the result of current\ncircumstances\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"questions\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eQuestions\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Israelites choose a path apart from God. As a result, they get exiled\nfrom their land and dominated by foreign nations. But the prophet Isaiah\nknew that sorrow would not have the final word with these people. He looked\nforward to the day when Yahweh would end pain and corruption to lead them\ninto endless, joyful living. Read Isaiah 49:13 and Isaiah 51:11 . What does\nIsaiah tell us about God’s character in these passages? What does Isaiah\nsay will happen to God’s people?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eIsaiah 49:13\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e13Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBreak forth into joyful shouting, O mountains!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the Lord has comforted His people\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd will have compassion on His afflicted.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eIsaiah 51:11\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e11So the ransomed of the Lord will return\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd come with joyful shouting to Zion,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd everlasting joy will be on their heads.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey will obtain gladness and joy,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd sorrow and sighing will flee away.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIsiah tells us that God is good and faithful. He mentions God\u0026rsquo;s past\nfaithfulness - \u003ccode\u003eFor the Lord _has_ comforted His people\u003c/code\u003e as well as future\nfaithfulness - \u003ccode\u003eSo the randomed of the Lord _will_ return...\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIsiah leans in on Yahweh\u0026rsquo;s defining nature from Exodus 34:6. God\u0026rsquo;s \u003ccode\u003ehesed\u003c/code\u003e, his\n\u003cstrong\u003esteadfase love\u003c/strong\u003e, is what is our hope. Otherwise our God is no different than\nany powerful but fickle diety.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIsiah also doesn\u0026rsquo;t, in these short passages, promise or claim a promise of any\n\u003ca href=\"/kind/\" class=\"glossary-term\" title=\"kind - kubernetes in docker\" data-hover-title=\"kind\"\u003ekind\u003c/a\u003e of temporal happiness - the joy is historical-facing in reflecting on\nGod\u0026rsquo;s deliverance and future-facing inr reflecting also on God\u0026rsquo;s deliverance.\nGod\u0026rsquo;s people were still supposed to find this joy in the midst of their bondage.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe prophet Isaiah looked forward to the coming of Israel’s redeemer. His\nprophecies were fulfilled with the arrival of Jesus. Read Luke 2:9-11 . Why\nwere the shepherds afraid? What reasons did the angels give for them to\nrejoice instead?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eLuke 2:9-11\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e9And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the\nLord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10But the angel\nsaid to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great\njoy which will be for all the people; 11for today in the city of David\nthere has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePresumably the shepherds were afraid because of \u003ccode\u003ethe glory of the Lord\u003c/code\u003e. All\nthroughout the OT we have examples of God\u0026rsquo;s people fearing this glory,\nspecifically on Sinai. Yahweh even tells Moses that he can only be shown\nYahweh\u0026rsquo;s back due to his glory, and then Moses has to veil his face so that the\nglory of the Lord persisted on him would not terrify the Israelites.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe angels outright said that a Savior has been born, the Messiah has come.\nThere is no greater cause for joy than the king of creation returning\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJoy can persist in the harshest of circumstances because it depends on God\nand his promises. Read Matthew 5:11-12 , Acts 13:50-52 , and Hebrews 12:1-3\n. According to these passages, what specific truths about God can sustain\njoy even through painful or dire situations?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition success\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eSuccess\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJoy can persist in the harshest of circumstances because it depends on God\nand his promises.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eMatthew 5:11-12\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e11“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely\nsay all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12Rejoice and be glad, for\nyour reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the\nprophets who were before you.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eActs 13:50-52\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e50But the Jews incited the devout women of prominence and the leading men\nof the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and\ndrove them out of their district. 51But they shook off the dust of their\nfeet in protest against them and went to Iconium. 52And the disciples were\ncontinually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eHebrews 12:1-3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus, the Example\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let\nus also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles\nus, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2fixing\nour eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set\nbefore Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the\nright hand of the throne of God. 3For consider Him who has endured such\nhostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and\nlose heart.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHarsh treatment of us, particularly for faith, reflects Jesus\u0026rsquo; life. We stand\nwith God-incarnate in living for a different kingdom which has negative\nconsequences for us in the modern age, but obviously not in God\u0026rsquo;s age that\u0026rsquo;s\nalready here and yet coming.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoly Spirit gives us joy\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe have long list of people in history who lived faithful lives, struggled\nwith God, experienced pain, and yet were faithful the Lord by God\u0026rsquo;s own\ngrace. Similarly we are chosen and favored - the receipients of God\u0026rsquo;s\n\u003ccode\u003ehesed\u003c/code\u003e love.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen we see how Jesus’ loving way of life has overcome death itself, joy\nstarts to become strangely reasonable. But this doesn’t mean it is wise to\nignore or suppress sorrow. Read 2 Corinthians 6:3-10 . How did Paul\nintegrate both joy and sorrow?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e2 Corinthians 6:3-10\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e3giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be\ndiscredited, 4but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in\nmuch endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, 5in beatings,\nin imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, 6in\npurity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in\ngenuine love, 7in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of\nrighteousness for the right hand and the left, 8by glory and dishonor, by\nevil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true; 9as\nunknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not\nput to death, 10as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many\nrich, as having nothing yet possessing all things.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n[link](https://bibleprojectz.com/bible-studies/chara-joy/)\n\n# Chara / Joy\n\nThere are several words for similar feelings - example like `joy` has several synonyms.\n\n## Sources\n\nGenesis tells us creation and life bring joy\nPsalm 104 - A good bottle of wine is God's gift to bring joy to people's hearts\nP#lm 65 - Beautiful things bring joy\nJeremiah 33:11 - Weddings\n\n## Corruption\n\nBible shows us that humanity and brokenness mark our world by death and loss\n\n## Joy in spite of corruption\n\nGod's people have reasons in God's faithfulness to be joyful. \nJoy in the LORD is not determinmed by current struggles, but by future hope and deliverance\n\n## Jesus\n\nHis birth gives good news and brings great joy\n\nMatthew 5 - Jesus says to rejoice and be glad when we are persecuted for his Name\n\n## Apostles\n\nPaul says he chooses joy when he is in jail\n\n!!! note \"\"\n\n Joy is a _choice_\n\n2 Corinthians 6:10 -\u003e Paul is filled with sorrow and yet rejoicing\n\n!!! success \"\"\n\n Christian joy is rooted in future hope and expectation of a Messiah, of\n Jesus, to come again. It is a profound choice, not the result of current\n circumstances\n\n# Questions\n\n!!! note \"1\"\n\n The Israelites choose a path apart from God. As a result, they get exiled\n from their land and dominated by foreign nations. But the prophet Isaiah\n knew that sorrow would not have the final word with these people. He looked\n forward to the day when Yahweh would end pain and corruption to lead them\n into endless, joyful living. Read Isaiah 49:13 and Isaiah 51:11 . What does\n Isaiah tell us about God’s character in these passages? What does Isaiah\n say will happen to God’s people?\n\n!!! quote \"Isaiah 49:13\"\n\n \n\n 13Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth!\n\n Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains!\n\n For the Lord has comforted His people\n\n And will have compassion on His afflicted.\n\n!!! quote \"Isaiah 51:11\"\n\n 11So the ransomed of the Lord will return\n\n And come with joyful shouting to Zion,\n\n And everlasting joy will be on their heads.\n\n They will obtain gladness and joy,\n\n And sorrow and sighing will flee away.\n\nIsiah tells us that God is good and faithful. He mentions God's past\nfaithfulness - `For the Lord _has_ comforted His people` as well as future\nfaithfulness - `So the randomed of the Lord _will_ return...`\n\nIsiah leans in on Yahweh's defining nature from Exodus 34:6. God's `hesed`, his\n**steadfase love**, is what is our hope. Otherwise our God is no different than\nany powerful but fickle diety. \n\nIsiah also doesn't, in these short passages, promise or claim a promise of any\nkind of temporal happiness - the joy is historical-facing in reflecting on\nGod's deliverance and future-facing inr reflecting also on God's deliverance.\nGod's people were still supposed to find this joy in the midst of their bondage.\n\n\n!!! note \"2\"\n\n The prophet Isaiah looked forward to the coming of Israel’s redeemer. His\n prophecies were fulfilled with the arrival of Jesus. Read Luke 2:9-11 . Why\n were the shepherds afraid? What reasons did the angels give for them to\n rejoice instead?\n\n!!! quote \"Luke 2:9-11\"\n\n 9And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the\n Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10But the angel\n said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great\n joy which will be for all the people; 11for today in the city of David\n there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.\n\nPresumably the shepherds were afraid because of `the glory of the Lord`. All\nthroughout the OT we have examples of God's people fearing this glory,\nspecifically on Sinai. Yahweh even tells Moses that he can only be shown\nYahweh's back due to his glory, and then Moses has to veil his face so that the\nglory of the Lord persisted on him would not terrify the Israelites.\n\nThe angels outright said that a Savior has been born, the Messiah has come.\nThere is no greater cause for joy than the king of creation returning\n\n!!! note \"3\"\n\n Joy can persist in the harshest of circumstances because it depends on God\n and his promises. Read Matthew 5:11-12 , Acts 13:50-52 , and Hebrews 12:1-3\n . According to these passages, what specific truths about God can sustain\n joy even through painful or dire situations?\n\n!!! success \"\"\n\n Joy can persist in the harshest of circumstances because it depends on God\n and his promises.\n\n\n!!! quote \"Matthew 5:11-12\"\n\n 11“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely\n say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12Rejoice and be glad, for\n your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the\n prophets who were before you.\n\n!!! quote \"Acts 13:50-52\"\n\n 50But the Jews incited the devout women of prominence and the leading men\n of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and\n drove them out of their district. 51But they shook off the dust of their\n feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. 52And the disciples were\n continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.\n\n\n!!! quote \"Hebrews 12:1-3\"\n\n Jesus, the Example\n\n 1Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let\n us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles\n us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2fixing\n our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set\n before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the\n right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider Him who has endured such\n hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and\n lose heart.\n\n1. Harsh treatment of us, particularly for faith, reflects Jesus' life. We stand\nwith God-incarnate in living for a different kingdom which has negative\nconsequences for us in the modern age, but obviously not in God's age that's\nalready here and yet coming.\n\n2. Holy Spirit gives us joy\n\n3. We have long list of people in history who lived faithful lives, struggled\n with God, experienced pain, and yet were faithful the Lord by God's own\n grace. Similarly we are chosen and favored - the receipients of God's\n `hesed` love.\n\n4. \n\n\n!!! note \"4\"\n\n When we see how Jesus’ loving way of life has overcome death itself, joy\n starts to become strangely reasonable. But this doesn’t mean it is wise to\n ignore or suppress sorrow. Read 2 Corinthians 6:3-10 . How did Paul\n integrate both joy and sorrow?\n\n!!! quote \"2 Corinthians 6:3-10\"\n\n 3giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be\n discredited, 4but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in\n much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, 5in beatings,\n in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, 6in\n purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in\n genuine love, 7in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of\n righteousness for the right hand and the left, 8by glory and dishonor, by\n evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true; 9as\n unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not\n put to death, 10as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many\n rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things.\n\n", "summary": "link", "date_published": "2022-10-07T06:46:48Z", "date_modified": "2022-10-07T06:46:48Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "bible-project", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/abraham-and-melchizedek/", "url": "https://pype.dev/abraham-and-melchizedek/", "title": "Abraham and Melchizedek", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://bibleproject.com/bible-studies/abraham-and-melchizedek/\"\u003elink to study\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"video\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eVideo\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"priests\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003ePriests\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#priests\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod creates Eden in which he places humans to be his royal image - priests. God\nsets humans up to receive his blessing but humans choose their own way. The\npromise is for a priest and a sacrifice to come in Jesus.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod chooses Abraham and Sarah as the first royal priesthood as they are chosen\nby God to bless all the nations.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"melchizedek\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eMelchizedek\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#melchizedek\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA priestly king of Salem. Melchizedek recognizes Yahweh as the God of gods -\nAbraham tithes to him and that\u0026rsquo;s about the end of the story\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSalem is ancient short name for Jerusalem.\nAbraham\u0026rsquo;s tithe to Melchizedek is just like the Israelite call to tithe to the\nLevites (priests) to support them.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"royal-family\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eRoyal Family\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#royal-family\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbraham and Sarah are promised their own children but they take amtters into\ntheir own hands by scheming with Hagar. Eventually Sarah is given her own son,\nIssac, who God then calls for his life as a test of Abraham - it represents God\nchallenging Abraham to trust him with his own promise, and to not go his own\nway with Sarah\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDUring the Isaac sacrifice narrative a ram is given in place and Abraham names the place \u0026ldquo;God will provide\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"types\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eTypes\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#types\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe story of God\u0026rsquo;s call to sacrifice Isaac is much like the story of Abraham\nmeeting Melchizedek. In the Melchizedek story Abraham meets a priest on a high\nplace and gives him an offering. In the Isaac story Abraham acts as the priest\nand a ram is given to him by the LORD that covers the sins of Abraham\u0026rsquo;s family.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eAtonement and Covering\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCovering the sin in this case looks much more like redemption and resolve\nrather than payment for gult, similar to a small-scale apology can cover a\ngrievance even though no payment is made to make anything \u0026lsquo;right\u0026rsquo;, the\n\u0026lsquo;covering\u0026rsquo; is simply a sign of forgiveness\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"questions\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eQuestions\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShalem, or Salem, is later known as Jerusalem. Moriah, a mountainous region in\nJerusalem, is later called the “mount of the LORD” (Genesis 22:14) and the\n“temple mount” (2 Chronicles 3:1). With all of this in mind, compare Genesis\n14:17-20 with Genesis 22:1-14 . How do you see God providing for Abraham in\nthese similar settings?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eGenesis 22:14\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e14Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is\nsaid to this day, “In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e2 Chronicles 3:1\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Temple Construction in Jerusalem\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount\nMoriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David, at the place that\nDavid had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eGenesis 14:17-20\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod’s Promise to Abram\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e17Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who\nwere with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of\nShaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). 18And Melchizedek king of Salem\nbrought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. 19He\nblessed him and said,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Blessed be Abram of God Most High,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePossessor of heaven and earth;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e20And blessed be God Most High,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWho has delivered your enemies into your hand.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe gave him a tenth of all.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eGenesis 22:1-14\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Offering of Isaac\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to\nhim, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2He said, “Take now your son,\nyour only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and\noffer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will\ntell you.” 3So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey,\nand took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood\nfor the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had\ntold him. 4On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from\na distance. 5Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and\nI and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.”\n6Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son,\nand he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked\non together. 7Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And\nhe said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood,\nbut where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8Abraham said, “God will\nprovide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of\nthem walked on together.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e9Then they came to the place of which God had told\nhim; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his\nson Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10Abraham\nstretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11But the angel\nof the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he\nsaid, “Here I am.” 12He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the\nlad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you\nhave not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” 13Then Abraham raised\nhis eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by\nhis horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt\noffering in the place of his son. 14Abraham called the name of that place\nThe Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the Lord\nit will be provided.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition success\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eSuccess\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e5Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the\nlad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003cthead\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eGenesis 14\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eGenesis 22\u003c/th\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMelchizedek provides bread and wine\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eYahweh provides the ram\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eYahweh gave Abram victory over Chedorlaomer\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eYahweh gave Abraham Isaac\u0026rsquo;s safety\u003c/td\u003e\n\u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs you review Hebrews 7 , notice how the author assures their audience that\nJesus is better than any other priest. What are some of the reasons the\nauthor provides? How is this good news for everyone?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eHebrews 7\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMelchizedek’s Priesthood Like Christ’s\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. 3Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e4Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils. 5And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these are descended from Abraham. 6But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises. 7But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. 8In this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on. 9And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes, 10for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e11Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? 12For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. 13For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. 14For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. 15And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, 16who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. 17For it is attested of Him,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You are a priest forever\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAccording to the order of Melchizedek.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e18For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness 19(for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. 20And inasmuch as it was not without an oath 21(for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The Lord has sworn\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd will not change His mind,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e‘You are a priest forever’ ”);\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e22so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e23The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, 24but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. 25Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e26For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; 27who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. 28For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMelchizedek was \u0026ldquo;king of righteousness\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;\u003ca href=\"/kind/\" class=\"glossary-term\" title=\"kind - kubernetes in docker\" data-hover-title=\"kind\"\u003ekind\u003c/a\u003e of peace\u0026rdquo;, Jesus is a priest according to \u0026ldquo;the order of Melchizedek\u0026rdquo; and so seems to be that Jesus is the continued reigning king of righteousness and peace\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMelchizedek was priest of God Most High - the priestly order changed to Levi with the giving of the Law\u0026hellip; Jesus represents, and \u003cem\u003eis\u003c/em\u003e, another change in the priesthood which necessitates another change in law (verse 12). Jesus\u0026rsquo; kingship and priesthood is more similar to Melchizek\u0026rsquo;s than Levi\u0026rsquo;s (who was no king anyways).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLevitical priesthood was not bound by an oath - but Jesus\u0026rsquo; priesthood is bound by Yahweh\u0026rsquo;s oath to not change his mind, Jesus is priest forever\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormer priests, Levites, changed due to death, but Jesus persists forever (Melchizedek also presumably died)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n[link to study](https://bibleproject.com/bible-studies/abraham-and-melchizedek/)\n\n# Video\n\n## Priests\n\nGod creates Eden in which he places humans to be his royal image - priests. God\nsets humans up to receive his blessing but humans choose their own way. The\npromise is for a priest and a sacrifice to come in Jesus.\n\nGod chooses Abraham and Sarah as the first royal priesthood as they are chosen\nby God to bless all the nations.\n\n## Melchizedek\n\nA priestly king of Salem. Melchizedek recognizes Yahweh as the God of gods -\nAbraham tithes to him and that's about the end of the story\n\nSalem is ancient short name for Jerusalem. \nAbraham's tithe to Melchizedek is just like the Israelite call to tithe to the\nLevites (priests) to support them.\n\n## Royal Family\n\nAbraham and Sarah are promised their own children but they take amtters into\ntheir own hands by scheming with Hagar. Eventually Sarah is given her own son,\nIssac, who God then calls for his life as a test of Abraham - it represents God\nchallenging Abraham to trust him with his own promise, and to not go his own\nway with Sarah\n\nDUring the Isaac sacrifice narrative a ram is given in place and Abraham names the place \"God will provide\".\n\n## Types\n\nThe story of God's call to sacrifice Isaac is much like the story of Abraham\nmeeting Melchizedek. In the Melchizedek story Abraham meets a priest on a high\nplace and gives him an offering. In the Isaac story Abraham acts as the priest\nand a ram is given to him by the LORD that covers the sins of Abraham's family.\n\n!!! note \"Atonement and Covering\"\n\n Covering the sin in this case looks much more like redemption and resolve\n rather than payment for gult, similar to a small-scale apology can cover a\n grievance even though no payment is made to make anything 'right', the\n 'covering' is simply a sign of forgiveness\n\n\n# Questions\n\n!!! note \"1\"\n\n Shalem, or Salem, is later known as Jerusalem. Moriah, a mountainous region in\n Jerusalem, is later called the “mount of the LORD” (Genesis 22:14) and the\n “temple mount” (2 Chronicles 3:1). With all of this in mind, compare Genesis\n 14:17-20 with Genesis 22:1-14 . How do you see God providing for Abraham in\n these similar settings?\n\n\n!!! quote \"Genesis 22:14\"\n\n 14Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is\n said to this day, “In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.”\n\n!!! quote \"2 Chronicles 3:1\"\n\n The Temple Construction in Jerusalem\n\n 1Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount\n Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David, at the place that\n David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.\n\n!!! quote \"Genesis 14:17-20\"\n\n God’s Promise to Abram\n\n 17Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who\n were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of\n Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). 18And Melchizedek king of Salem\n brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. 19He\n blessed him and said,\n\n “Blessed be Abram of God Most High,\n\n Possessor of heaven and earth;\n\n 20And blessed be God Most High,\n\n Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”\n\n He gave him a tenth of all.\n\n\n!!! quote \"Genesis 22:1-14\"\n\n The Offering of Isaac\n\n 1Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to\n him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2He said, “Take now your son,\n your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and\n offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will\n tell you.” 3So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey,\n and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood\n for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had\n told him. 4On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from\n a distance. 5Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and\n I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.”\n 6Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son,\n and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked\n on together. 7Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And\n he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood,\n but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8Abraham said, “God will\n provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of\n them walked on together. \n\n 9Then they came to the place of which God had told\n him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his\n son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10Abraham\n stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11But the angel\n of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he\n said, “Here I am.” 12He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the\n lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you\n have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” 13Then Abraham raised\n his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by\n his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt\n offering in the place of his son. 14Abraham called the name of that place\n The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the Lord\n it will be provided.”\n\n!!! success \"\"\n\n 5Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the\n lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.”\n\n| Genesis 14 | Genesis 22 | \n| --- | --- | \n| Melchizedek provides bread and wine | Yahweh provides the ram | \n| Yahweh gave Abram victory over Chedorlaomer | Yahweh gave Abraham Isaac's safety | \n\n!!! note \"3\"\n\n As you review Hebrews 7 , notice how the author assures their audience that\n Jesus is better than any other priest. What are some of the reasons the\n author provides? How is this good news for everyone?\n\n!!! quote \"Hebrews 7\"\n\n Melchizedek’s Priesthood Like Christ’s\n\n 1For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. 3Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.\n\n 4Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils. 5And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these are descended from Abraham. 6But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises. 7But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. 8In this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on. 9And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes, 10for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.\n\n 11Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? 12For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. 13For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. 14For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. 15And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, 16who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. 17For it is attested of Him,\n\n “You are a priest forever\n\n According to the order of Melchizedek.”\n\n 18For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness 19(for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. 20And inasmuch as it was not without an oath 21(for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him,\n\n “The Lord has sworn\n\n And will not change His mind,\n\n ‘You are a priest forever’ ”);\n\n 22so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.\n\n 23The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, 24but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. 25Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.\n\n 26For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; 27who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. 28For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever.\n\n1. Melchizedek was \"king of righteousness\" and \"kind of peace\", Jesus is a priest according to \"the order of Melchizedek\" and so seems to be that Jesus is the continued reigning king of righteousness and peace\n2. Melchizedek was priest of God Most High - the priestly order changed to Levi with the giving of the Law... Jesus represents, and _is_, another change in the priesthood which necessitates another change in law (verse 12). Jesus' kingship and priesthood is more similar to Melchizek's than Levi's (who was no king anyways).\n3. Levitical priesthood was not bound by an oath - but Jesus' priesthood is bound by Yahweh's oath to not change his mind, Jesus is priest forever\n4. Former priests, Levites, changed due to death, but Jesus persists forever (Melchizedek also presumably died)\n\n", "summary": "link to study", "date_published": "2022-09-23T06:10:28Z", "date_modified": "2022-09-23T06:10:28Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "bible-project", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/tree-of-life/", "url": "https://pype.dev/tree-of-life/", "title": "Tree of Life", "content_html": "\u003ch1 id=\"video\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eVideo\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"eden\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eEden\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#eden\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBiblical story begins in a garden, which is presented as a type of Temple. The\ntop (center) is the Tree of Life, which represents God\u0026rsquo;s life and creative\npower. Humans \u003cstrong\u003ewere supposed to eat from the Tree of Life\u003c/strong\u003e but there\u0026rsquo;s\nanother tree, the Tree of Knowledge of \u0026ldquo;good\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;bad\u0026rdquo; which represents\nassuming the authority to define good and bad for one\u0026rsquo;s own life rather than\ntrusting God\u0026rsquo;s defintion. Human eat of that tree and are thus exiled from the\ngarden.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"burning-bush\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eBurning Bush\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#burning-bush\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMoses meets God at a burning tree, a plant on a mountain radiating with God\u0026rsquo;s\npower just like the Tree of Life. Yahweh charges Moses to bring the same choice\nto the Israelites that Adam and Eve had, which is to trust God or define\nmorality for themselves.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"jesus\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eJesus\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#jesus\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus announced that God\u0026rsquo;s eternal life is available through him now -\noriginally in Eden given through the Tree of Life. Jesus invites other people\nto \u0026ldquo;eat of him\u0026rdquo; to be transformed by God\u0026rsquo;s own life. The invitation is the same\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eto trust Yahweh or not. But Jesus\u0026rsquo; life exposes humanity\u0026rsquo;s brokenness in that\nhumans crucified him. Jesus is hung on a cross (a tree) on the top of a\nhill (like Mt. Sinai) and humans not only eat of a different false tree of\nlife, but they chopped down the real Tree of Life - Jesus.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"questions\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eQuestions\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003eWhat is one practical example of what it means to eat from the tree of\nlife? How is it different from eating from the false tree of life?\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGiving money away I think is one practical example of eating from the tree of\nlife. Jesus calls us to share our blessings, and choosing to live by his\nauthority rather than decide for myself what to do with my money (meaning to\nspend it on my desires only rather than invest in the Kingdom) then I make the\nsame choice humanity always makes - to not trust God\u0026rsquo;s definition of good and\nbad\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCompare John 15:5-13\nwith Matthew 7:15-20\n. How does the true vine give life? How do we recognize a false tree of life?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJohn 15:5-13\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e5I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he\nbears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not\nabide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather\nthem, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7If you abide in Me,\nand My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for\nyou. 8My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so\nprove to be My disciples. 9Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also\nloved you; abide in My love. 10If you keep My commandments, you will abide\nin My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His\nlove. 11These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and\nthat your joy may be made full. Disciples’ Relation to Each Other 12“This\nis My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.\n13Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his\nfriends.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eMatthew 7:15-20\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e15“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but\ninwardly are ravenous wolves. 16You will know them by their fruits. Grapes\nare not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17So\nevery good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A\ngood tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.\n19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the\nfire. 20So then, you will know them by their fruits.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe true vine gives life through communion and connection. Jesus says to \u0026ldquo;abide\nin [him]\u0026rdquo; which is represented by a choice to believe him about kingdom, love,\nrelationships, brokenness, etc\u0026hellip; By meditating on the Word of God, communing\nwith Jesus, being washed and guided by the Spirit we are transformed more and more into\nthe image of Jesus which is real and true life.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat are some examples of good fruit and bad fruit (see Galatians 5:16-25)?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eGalations 5:16-25\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e16But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of\nthe flesh. 17For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the\nSpirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so\nthat you may not do the things that you please. 18But if you are led by the\nSpirit, you are not under the Law. 19Now the deeds of the flesh are\nevident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20idolatry, sorcery,\nenmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions,\nfactions, 21envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of\nwhich I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who\npractice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22But the fruit\nof the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,\nfaithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no\nlaw. 24Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with\nits passions and desires. 25If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by\nthe Spirit.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGood fruit:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003e- choosing to guard my eyes and thoughts against sexual immorality\n- remaining calm when things aren't going my way at work\n- drinking water instead of _another_ drink at night\n- giving money away out of love\n- seeking unity and charity especially in any time of conflict\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBad fruit:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003e- outbursts at work - for me this is basically giving up hope for someone to be successful. By God's grace I have a desire to help peopl learn and succeed, but I can exhaust that desire and instead of prioritize an individual's well-being/growth I place my frustration above that and let my annoyance guide me more than a spirit of teaching and gentleness\n- having that second, or third, drink \n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you are led byt he Spirit, you are not under the Law\u0026hellip; This isn\u0026rsquo;t saying\nthat the Law doesn\u0026rsquo;t apply, but that by the Spirit\u0026rsquo;s guidance we will never\nbe found guilty by anything in the Law!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Jesus talks about what his death will accomplish, he talks about a\nseed going into the ground before it bears fruit (see John 12:23-26). What\ncould it look like to live in the ways of Jesus and bear the fruit of life?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eJohn 12:23-26\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e23And Jesus *answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man\nto be glorified. 24Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat\nfalls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears\nmuch fruit. 25He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in\nthis world will keep it to life eternal. 26If anyone serves Me, he must\nfollow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves\nMe, the Father will honor him.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeditating on God\u0026rsquo;s faithfulness to humanity in spite of our disobedience I\nthink is an avenue by which the Spirit changes our hearts and as we are changed\nby him we live lives that reflect Jesus\u0026rsquo; own life\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI think there can be many facets to the seed dying aspect, one relevant piece\nseems fairly self-evident in the passage\u0026hellip; if we hold onto our life (ie. be a\nseed that never dies) then we will never flourish, but if we give up the life\nwe have now and live like Jesus did, we will blessed with life\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n# Video\n\n## Eden\n\nBiblical story begins in a garden, which is presented as a type of Temple. The\ntop (center) is the Tree of Life, which represents God's life and creative\npower. Humans **were supposed to eat from the Tree of Life** but there's\nanother tree, the Tree of Knowledge of \"good\" and \"bad\" which represents\nassuming the authority to define good and bad for one's own life rather than\ntrusting God's defintion. Human eat of that tree and are thus exiled from the\ngarden.\n\n## Burning Bush\n\nMoses meets God at a burning tree, a plant on a mountain radiating with God's\npower just like the Tree of Life. Yahweh charges Moses to bring the same choice\nto the Israelites that Adam and Eve had, which is to trust God or define\nmorality for themselves.\n\n## Jesus\n\nJesus announced that God's eternal life is available through him now -\noriginally in Eden given through the Tree of Life. Jesus invites other people\nto \"eat of him\" to be transformed by God's own life. The invitation is the same\n- to trust Yahweh or not. But Jesus' life exposes humanity's brokenness in that\n humans crucified him. Jesus is hung on a cross (a tree) on the top of a\n hill (like Mt. Sinai) and humans not only eat of a different false tree of\n life, but they chopped down the real Tree of Life - Jesus.\n\n# Questions\n\n!!! note \"1\"\n\n What is one practical example of what it means to eat from the tree of\n life? How is it different from eating from the false tree of life?\n\nGiving money away I think is one practical example of eating from the tree of\nlife. Jesus calls us to share our blessings, and choosing to live by his\nauthority rather than decide for myself what to do with my money (meaning to\nspend it on my desires only rather than invest in the Kingdom) then I make the\nsame choice humanity always makes - to not trust God's definition of good and\nbad\n\n!!! note \"2\"\n \n Compare John 15:5-13\n with Matthew 7:15-20\n . How does the true vine give life? How do we recognize a false tree of life?\n\n!!! quote \"John 15:5-13\"\n\n 5I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he\n bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not\n abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather\n them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7If you abide in Me,\n and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for\n you. 8My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so\n prove to be My disciples. 9Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also\n loved you; abide in My love. 10If you keep My commandments, you will abide\n in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His\n love. 11These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and\n that your joy may be made full. Disciples’ Relation to Each Other 12“This\n is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.\n 13Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his\n friends.\n\n\n!!! quote \"Matthew 7:15-20\"\n\n 15“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but\n inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16You will know them by their fruits. Grapes\n are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17So\n every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A\n good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.\n 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the\n fire. 20So then, you will know them by their fruits.\n\nThe true vine gives life through communion and connection. Jesus says to \"abide\nin [him]\" which is represented by a choice to believe him about kingdom, love,\nrelationships, brokenness, etc... By meditating on the Word of God, communing\nwith Jesus, being washed and guided by the Spirit we are transformed more and more into\nthe image of Jesus which is real and true life.\n\n!!! note \"3\"\n\n What are some examples of good fruit and bad fruit (see Galatians 5:16-25)?\n\n!!! quote \"Galations 5:16-25\"\n\n 16But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of\n the flesh. 17For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the\n Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so\n that you may not do the things that you please. 18But if you are led by the\n Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19Now the deeds of the flesh are\n evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20idolatry, sorcery,\n enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions,\n factions, 21envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of\n which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who\n practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22But the fruit\n of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,\n faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no\n law. 24Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with\n its passions and desires. 25If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by\n the Spirit.\n\nGood fruit:\n\n - choosing to guard my eyes and thoughts against sexual immorality\n - remaining calm when things aren't going my way at work\n - drinking water instead of _another_ drink at night\n - giving money away out of love\n - seeking unity and charity especially in any time of conflict\n\nBad fruit:\n\n - outbursts at work - for me this is basically giving up hope for someone to be successful. By God's grace I have a desire to help peopl learn and succeed, but I can exhaust that desire and instead of prioritize an individual's well-being/growth I place my frustration above that and let my annoyance guide me more than a spirit of teaching and gentleness\n - having that second, or third, drink \n\n\u003e If you are led byt he Spirit, you are not under the Law... This isn't saying\n\u003e that the Law doesn't apply, but that by the Spirit's guidance we will never\n\u003e be found guilty by anything in the Law!\n\n!!! note \"4\"\n\n When Jesus talks about what his death will accomplish, he talks about a\n seed going into the ground before it bears fruit (see John 12:23-26). What\n could it look like to live in the ways of Jesus and bear the fruit of life?\n\n!!! quote \"John 12:23-26\"\n\n\n 23And Jesus *answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man\n to be glorified. 24Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat\n falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears\n much fruit. 25He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in\n this world will keep it to life eternal. 26If anyone serves Me, he must\n follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves\n Me, the Father will honor him.\n\nMeditating on God's faithfulness to humanity in spite of our disobedience I\nthink is an avenue by which the Spirit changes our hearts and as we are changed\nby him we live lives that reflect Jesus' own life\n\nI think there can be many facets to the seed dying aspect, one relevant piece\nseems fairly self-evident in the passage... if we hold onto our life (ie. be a\nseed that never dies) then we will never flourish, but if we give up the life\nwe have now and live like Jesus did, we will blessed with life\n\n\n", "summary": "Biblical story begins in a garden, which is presented as a type of Temple. The top (center) is the Tree of Life, which represents God's life and creative...", "date_published": "2022-09-21T06:21:19Z", "date_modified": "2022-09-21T06:21:19Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "bible-project", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/shalom-and-peace/", "url": "https://pype.dev/shalom-and-peace/", "title": "Shalom and Peace", "content_html": "\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://bibleproject.com/bible-studies/shalom-peace/\"\u003estudy link\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"peace\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003ePeace\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eNote\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003egenerally means absnese of war\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn Hebrew the word is \u003ccode\u003eShalom\u003c/code\u003e (Greek: Eirene). Basic biblical meeting of\nShalom is \u0026ldquo;complete\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;whole\u0026rdquo;. ie. a stone with no cracks, or stone wall with\nnogaps or missing grips\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReferences a complex situation with nothing missing\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShalom can refer to a person\u0026rsquo;s well-being\u0026hellip; Life is complex and when anything\nis out of alignment our Shalom breaks down and needs to be restored\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo bring shalom is to make complete or restore\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn Proverbs, to reconcile a broken relationship is to make shalom\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"isaiah\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eIsaiah\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#isaiah\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eIsaiah 9:6-7\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;\nAnd the government will rest on His shoulders;\nAnd His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,\nEternal Father, Prince of Peace.\n7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,\nOn the throne of David and over his kingdom,\nTo establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness\nFrom then on and forevermore.\nThe zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"jesus\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eJesus\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#jesus\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus restores the broken relationship between humans and our creator.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eQuote\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEphesians 2:14-15\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus himeself is our \u003cem\u003eEirene\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"questions\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eQuestions\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe prophet Isaiah looked forward to the arrival of a future king who would\nmake a covenant of shalom (peace, well-being) with his people. This king\nwould set the world right and heal all that has been harmed. Read Isaiah\n9:6-7 aloud together. What specific words or phrases stand out to you as\nyou observe this passage and why?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eIsaiah 9:6-7 6\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor a child will be born to us, a son will be given to\nus; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be\ncalled Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.\n7There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the\nthrone of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with\njustice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the\nLord of hosts will accomplish this.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWords that stick out:\n- child\n- given to us\n- government will rest\n- no end to the increase\n- zeal\u0026hellip;will accomplish this\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe prophet Isaiah looked forward to the arrival of the Prince of Peace, whose\nreign would lead to eternal shalom. Jesus’ arrival fulfilled Isaiah’s words.\nRead and reflect on Luke 2:9-15 as a group. Why do you think God announced the\nKing’s arrival to no-name shepherds? What does this tell you about the nature\nof God and his Kingdom?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eLuke 2:9-15\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e9And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the\nLord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10But the angel\nsaid to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great\njoy which will be for all the people; 11for today in the city of David\nthere has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12This will\nbe a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a\nmanger.” 13And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the\nheavenly host praising God and saying,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e14“Glory to God in the highest,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e15When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began\nsaying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this\nthing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt thsi point it seems obvious that the reason God came to the undesirable\ncompany of teh time was to illustrate that the Kingdom of Heaven was to be an\nupside down kingdom. Status and power are hinderences under Jesus\u0026rsquo; reign, so he\nbuilds his kingdom (from our perspective) from the ground up.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe biblical story shows how humanity often chooses a way of life apart\nfrom God and suffers as a result. According to Colossians 1:19-23 , what\ndid God want to do to remedy this pain, and how did he accomplish his\ndesire through Jesus?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eQuote\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eColossians 1:19-23\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e19For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in\nHim, 20and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made\npeace (εἰρηνοποιέω) through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on\nearth or things in heaven.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e21And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in\nevil deeds, 22yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through\ndeath, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond\nreproach— 23if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and\nsteadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have\nheard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I,\nPaul, was made a minister.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGod interacted with Creation as a created being himself, holding back\n\u003cem\u003esomething\u003c/em\u003e in the person of Jesus. On our turf, God showed up to revive our\nlifeless souls and call us to live as citizens in his kingdom.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus offers his peace to all people as a gift. Read Ephesians 2:11-16 .\nHow did Jesus make peace between two sharply divided people groups (Jews\nand Gentiles), and why did he do it (see Eph. 2:16)?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eEphesians 2:11-16\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e11Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are\ncalled “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed\nin the flesh by human hands— 12remember that you were at that time separate\nfrom Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the\ncovenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But\nnow in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by\nthe blood of Christ. 14For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups\ninto one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15by abolishing\nin His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in\nordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus\nestablishing peace,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e16and might reconcile them both in one body to God\nthrough the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus broke down the dividing wall of Circumcision by fulfilling Torah. No\nlonger do the people of God need to be circumcized into the covenant (we have\nbaptism), and no longer are God\u0026rsquo;s people separate from the world via outward\nappearances but instead by living lives loyal to a different God - to Yahweh\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition success\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eSuccess\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJesus \u0026ldquo;put to death the enmity\u0026rdquo; by removing all \u003cem\u003espiritually/covenantally relevant\u003c/em\u003e barriers that separated Jews from Gentiles\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow, let’s carefully read Ephesians 4:1-3 How can humility, gentleness,\npatience, and love help maintain the unity Jesus calls his followers to?\nWhat happens to unity when one of these virtues is missing?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition quote\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eEphesians 4:1-3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner\nworthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2with all humility\nand gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,\n3being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese things don\u0026rsquo;t just help maintain unity - they are the postures of life\nJesus builds his Kingdom around (second to himself I suppose). Jesus levels the\nplaying field for all people, and no one has anymore right to anything than\nanyone else. Things like humility (right view of oneself), gentleness,\npatience, love, etc. are necessary for Jesus\u0026rsquo; kingdom to look how he wants it\nto look\u003c/p\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n[study link](https://bibleproject.com/bible-studies/shalom-peace/)\n\n\n# Peace \n\n!!! note \"\"\n\n generally means absnese of war\n\nIn Hebrew the word is `Shalom` (Greek: Eirene). Basic biblical meeting of\nShalom is \"complete\" or \"whole\". ie. a stone with no cracks, or stone wall with\nnogaps or missing grips\n\nReferences a complex situation with nothing missing\n\nShalom can refer to a person's well-being... Life is complex and when anything\nis out of alignment our Shalom breaks down and needs to be restored\n\nTo bring shalom is to make complete or restore\n\nIn Proverbs, to reconcile a broken relationship is to make shalom\n\n## Isaiah\n\n\n!!! quote \"Isaiah 9:6-7\"\n\n\n 6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;\n And the government will rest on His shoulders;\n And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,\n Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.\n 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,\n On the throne of David and over his kingdom,\n To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness\n From then on and forevermore.\n The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. \n\n## Jesus\n\nJesus restores the broken relationship between humans and our creator.\n\n!!! quote\n\n Ephesians 2:14-15\n\n Jesus himeself is our _Eirene_\n\n\n# Questions\n\n!!! note \"1\"\n\n The prophet Isaiah looked forward to the arrival of a future king who would\n make a covenant of shalom (peace, well-being) with his people. This king\n would set the world right and heal all that has been harmed. Read Isaiah\n 9:6-7 aloud together. What specific words or phrases stand out to you as\n you observe this passage and why?\n\n!!! quote \"Isaiah 9:6-7 6\"\n\n For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to\n us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be\n called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.\n 7There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the\n throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with\n justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the\n Lord of hosts will accomplish this.\n\n\nWords that stick out: \n - child\n - given to us\n - government will rest\n - no end to the increase\n - zeal...will accomplish this\n\n!!! note \"2\"\n\n The prophet Isaiah looked forward to the arrival of the Prince of Peace, whose\n reign would lead to eternal shalom. Jesus’ arrival fulfilled Isaiah’s words.\n Read and reflect on Luke 2:9-15 as a group. Why do you think God announced the\n King’s arrival to no-name shepherds? What does this tell you about the nature\n of God and his Kingdom?\n\n!!! quote \"Luke 2:9-15\"\n\n 9And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the\n Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10But the angel\n said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great\n joy which will be for all the people; 11for today in the city of David\n there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12This will\n be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a\n manger.” 13And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the\n heavenly host praising God and saying,\n\n 14“Glory to God in the highest,\n\n And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”\n\n 15When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began\n saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this\n thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”\n\nAt thsi point it seems obvious that the reason God came to the undesirable\ncompany of teh time was to illustrate that the Kingdom of Heaven was to be an\nupside down kingdom. Status and power are hinderences under Jesus' reign, so he\nbuilds his kingdom (from our perspective) from the ground up.\n\n\n!!! note \"3\"\n\n The biblical story shows how humanity often chooses a way of life apart\n from God and suffers as a result. According to Colossians 1:19-23 , what\n did God want to do to remedy this pain, and how did he accomplish his\n desire through Jesus?\n\n!!! quote\n\n Colossians 1:19-23\n\n 19For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in\n Him, 20and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made\n peace (εἰρηνοποιέω) through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on\n earth or things in heaven.\n\n 21And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in\n evil deeds, 22yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through\n death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond\n reproach— 23if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and\n steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have\n heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I,\n Paul, was made a minister.\n\nGod interacted with Creation as a created being himself, holding back\n_something_ in the person of Jesus. On our turf, God showed up to revive our\nlifeless souls and call us to live as citizens in his kingdom.\n\n!!! note \"4\"\n\n Jesus offers his peace to all people as a gift. Read Ephesians 2:11-16 .\n How did Jesus make peace between two sharply divided people groups (Jews\n and Gentiles), and why did he do it (see Eph. 2:16)?\n\n!!! quote \"Ephesians 2:11-16\"\n\n\n 11Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are\n called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed\n in the flesh by human hands— 12remember that you were at that time separate\n from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the\n covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But\n now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by\n the blood of Christ. 14For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups\n into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15by abolishing\n in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in\n ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus\n establishing peace, \n\n 16and might reconcile them both in one body to God\n through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.\n\nJesus broke down the dividing wall of Circumcision by fulfilling Torah. No\nlonger do the people of God need to be circumcized into the covenant (we have\nbaptism), and no longer are God's people separate from the world via outward\nappearances but instead by living lives loyal to a different God - to Yahweh\n\n!!! success \"\"\n\n Jesus \"put to death the enmity\" by removing all *spiritually/covenantally relevant* barriers that separated Jews from Gentiles\n\n\n!!! note \"5\"\n\n Now, let’s carefully read Ephesians 4:1-3 How can humility, gentleness,\n patience, and love help maintain the unity Jesus calls his followers to?\n What happens to unity when one of these virtues is missing?\n\n!!! quote \"Ephesians 4:1-3\"\n\n 1Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner\n worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2with all humility\n and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,\n 3being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.\n\nThese things don't just help maintain unity - they are the postures of life\nJesus builds his Kingdom around (second to himself I suppose). Jesus levels the\nplaying field for all people, and no one has anymore right to anything than\nanyone else. Things like humility (right view of oneself), gentleness,\npatience, love, etc. are necessary for Jesus' kingdom to look how he wants it\nto look\n", "summary": "study link", "date_published": "2022-09-18T06:38:32Z", "date_modified": "2022-09-18T06:38:32Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "bible-project", "faith" ] }, { "id": "https://pype.dev/screwtape/", "url": "https://pype.dev/screwtape/", "title": "Screwtape", "content_html": "\u003ch1 id=\"chapters\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChapters\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBelow are just quick notes or quotes from each chapter as a reminder of what to\ngo back to chat about. This isn\u0026rsquo;t intended to be in-depth by any stretch.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"chapter-1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChapter 1\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chapter-1\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;Your man has been accustomed, ever since he was a boy, to have a dozen\nincompatible philosophies dancing about together inside his head. He doesn\u0026rsquo;t\nthink of doctrines as primarily \u0026rsquo;true\u0026rsquo; or \u0026lsquo;false\u0026rsquo;, but as \u0026lsquo;academic\u0026rsquo; or\n\u0026lsquo;practical\u0026rsquo;, \u0026lsquo;outworn\u0026rsquo; or \u0026lsquo;contemporary\u0026rsquo;, \u0026lsquo;conventional\u0026rsquo; or \u0026lsquo;ruthless\u0026rsquo;\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"chapter-2\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChapter 2\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chapter-2\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"chapter-3\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChapter 3\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chapter-3\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epg 11. Keeping the patient\u0026rsquo;s mind focused on the \u0026lsquo;inner life\u0026rsquo; so his actions do\nnot ever reflect his conversion\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epg 12. Creating an imaginary person for whom to pray\u0026hellip; \u0026ldquo;In time, you may get\nthe cleavage so wide that no thought or feeling from his prayers for the\nimagined mother will ever flow over into his treatment of the real one\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epg 13-14. \u0026ldquo;Let him assume that she knows how annoying it is and does it to\nannoy - if you know your job he will not notice the immense improbability of\nthe assumption\u0026rdquo; -\u0026gt; This point is particularly convicting to me\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition abstract\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eAbstract\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe last point about encouraging the patient to interpret the mother\u0026rsquo;s every\nmove in an over-sensitive fashion is actually very relatable for me\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"chapter-4\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChapter 4\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chapter-4\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epg 15. Convincing the patient that scheduled prayer is wrong and that he must\ncreate a \u003cem\u003emood\u003c/em\u003e within himself for real prayer reminds me of high school youth\ngroups talking about \u0026ldquo;praying in the spirit\u0026rdquo; and silly conversation \u0026ldquo;combating\nsalvation by works\u0026rdquo; ideas like scheduled prayer times.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epg 16. \u0026ldquo;they constantly forget, what you must always remember, that they are\nanimals and that whatever their bodies do affects their souls\u0026rdquo; 👈 feels a lot\nlike Genesis 3, and humans are never more human than when we exercise\nself-control.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epg. 16. \u0026ldquo;Keep them watching their own minds and trying to produce \u003cem\u003efeelings\u003c/em\u003e\nthere by the action of their own wills\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition abstract\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eAbstract\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI totally remember feeling like I needed to want to pray in order for my\nprayers to matter\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epg 17. \u0026ldquo;When they say they re praying for forgiveness, let them be trying to\nfeel forgiven\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epg 18. \u0026ldquo;But whatever the nature of the composite object, you must keep him\npraying to \u003cem\u003eit\u003c/em\u003e - to the thing that he has made, not to the Person who has made\nhim\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition abstract\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eAbstract\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLewis talking actual idolatry with meaningful consequences\u0026hellip; not the \u0026ldquo;money\nis my idol\u0026rdquo; take most pastors preach\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"chapter-5\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChapter 5\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chapter-5\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epg 23. \u0026ldquo;\u0026hellip;while tens of thousands who do not go so far as that will\nnevertheless have their attention diverted from themselves to values and causes\nwhich they believe to be higher than the self. I know that the Enemy\ndisapproves many of these causes. But that is where He is so unfair. He often\nmakes prizes of humans who have given their lives for causes He think bad on\nthe monstrously sophistical ground that the humans thought them good and were\nfollowing the best they knew\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition warning\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eWARNING TITLE\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis reminds me of the young Tarkan in Narnia: The Last Battle, who Aslan\nascribes all his good deeds done to Tash as done to himself - effectively\nsaying the Tarkan\u0026rsquo;s loyalty to the wrong god is honored by Aslan? Definitely\nwant to know more about Lewis\u0026rsquo; thoughts there and here in Screwtape\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"chapter-6\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChapter 6\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chapter-6\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epg 25. \u0026ldquo;There is nothing like suspense and anxiety for barricading a human\u0026rsquo;s\nmind against the Enemy.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition warning\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eWarning\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eScrewtape\u0026rsquo;s point in the beinning of the chapter confuses me\u0026hellip; He instructs\nWormwood to keep the man thinking that the things he is anxious about, the\nthings themselves, are his trials/cross to bear, rather than the anxiety\nitself. So from the Christian perspective, Lewis seems to be saying that the\nreal-time, present, acute anxiety and suspense in the man\u0026rsquo;s heart regarding the\nwar is the actual trial and cross\u0026hellip; not the things the man is anxious about. I\ndon\u0026rsquo;t know what to do with this but it \u003cem\u003efeels\u003c/em\u003e convicting to me. Growing up I\noften had the thought that nothing could be wrong because \u0026ldquo;I have Jesus\u0026rdquo;, and I\nwould look at my circumstances as things to bear - for me the biggest one was\nsingleness. So would Lewis say my outlook on my singleness as the thing to\nbear, rather than the anxiety about being single, was the enemy twisting my\nconvictions to be inward rather than God-ward? It clearly looks like my\nconvictions were inward, but I\u0026rsquo;m not sure I understand how seeing the anxiety\nitself as my \u0026ldquo;cross to bare\u0026rdquo; is any more Biblical\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"chapter-7\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChapter 7\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chapter-7\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epage 32. \u0026ldquo;The fact that \u0026lsquo;devils\u0026rsquo; are predominately \u003cem\u003ecomic\u003c/em\u003e figures in the\nmodern imagination will help you\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition abstract\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eAbstract\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI think It\u0026rsquo;s funny because I bet most people, myself included, reading this book (at\nleast the first time) have a red-devil type figure in mind for Screwtape or\nWormwood\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epage 31-32. \u0026ldquo;If once we can produce our perfect work \u0026ndash; the Materialist\nMagician, the man, not using, but veritably worshipping, what he vaguely called\n\u0026lsquo;Froces\u0026rsquo; while denying the existence of \u0026lsquo;spirits\u0026rsquo; \u0026ndash; then the end of the war\nwill be in sight.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition abstract\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eAbstract\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI hear some non-Christian friends say things like \u0026ldquo;I\u0026rsquo;m spiritual so I\nappreciate your prayers\u0026rdquo;. In a sense they believe in some \u003ca href=\"/kind/\" class=\"glossary-term\" title=\"kind - kubernetes in docker\" data-hover-title=\"kind\"\u003ekind\u003c/a\u003e of\nnon-physical \u0026ldquo;thing\u0026rdquo; but not in any real sense so it looks, to me, similar to\nwhat Screwtape longs for in his letter to Wormwood.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epage 32. \u0026ldquo;All extremes, except extreme deviotion to the Enemy, are to be\nencouraged\u0026hellip; Other ages, of which the present is one, are unbalanced and prone\nto faction, and it is our business to inflame them\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition abstract\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eAbstract\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUsing Christianity to justify political positions or judgement seems right\nhere. Extreme devotion to our God I don\u0026rsquo;t think should offend people as often\nor to the degree that many Christians think is right\u0026hellip; People flocked to\nJesus, only the religious elite and politically powerful hated him. When\nChristianity is mixed with anything other than itself, that\u0026rsquo;s when it becomes\noffensive. I think I see people hold to something like Christian Nationalism,\nand the offensive nature of it justifies the position because \u0026ldquo;we were always\ngoing to be persecured for loving Jesus\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition danger\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003epage 34\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLet him begin by treating the Patriotism or the Pacifism as a part of his\nreligion. Then let him, under then influence of partisan spirit, come to\nregard it as the most important part\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"chapter-8\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChapter 8\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chapter-8\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition success\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003epage 39\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor He cannot ravish. He can only woo.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003epage 40\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe wants them to learn to walk and must therefore take away His hand; and\nif only the will to walk is really there He is pleased even with their\nstumbles\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"chapter-9\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChapter 9\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chapter-9\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epage 43. \u0026ldquo;In the first place I have always found that the trough periods of the\nhuman undulation provide excellen opportunity for all sensual tempations,\nparticularly those of sex\u0026hellip; The attack has a much better chance of success\nwhen the man\u0026rsquo;s whole innter world is drab and cold and empty.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition abstract\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eAbstract\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI feel this observation in my own life deeply - in my \u0026rsquo;troughs\u0026rsquo; I\u0026rsquo;m drawn to\npleasurable things in a very unpleasurable way\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition success\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003epage 44\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNever forget that when we are dealing with any pleasure in its healthy and\nnormal and satisfying form, we are, in a sense, on the Enemy\u0026rsquo;s ground.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition danger\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003ejargon not wisdom\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOf course there is no conceivable way of getting by reason from the\nproposition \u0026lsquo;I am losing interest in this\u0026rsquo; to the proposition \u0026lsquo;This is\nfalse\u0026rsquo;/ But, as I said before, it is jargon, not reason, you must rely on.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"chapter-10\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChapter 10\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chapter-10\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epage 49. \u0026ldquo;Did he commit himself deeply? I don\u0026rsquo;t mean the words. There is a\nsubtle play of looks and tons and laughs by which a mortal can imply that he is\nof the same party as those to whom he is speaking\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition abstract\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eAbstract\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI resonate with the temptation Scretape is basically instructing Wormwood to\nemploy - two-facedness/double-life. In hs/college in particular I would \u0026lsquo;play\nthe part\u0026rsquo; to fit in to a particular crowd. I\u0026rsquo;d rarely confess Christianity\nearly on, would never deny it explicitly, but would act and talk in a\nway/about things to imply that I was not necessarily non-Christian, but\ninstead nothing to ask about.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChapter 10 in overall convicting as it just drives home the point I noted\njust now\u0026hellip;. that I\u0026rsquo;m very prone to \u0026lsquo;acting\u0026rsquo; in order to fit into a community\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"chatper-11\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChatper 11\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chatper-11\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epage 55. \u0026ldquo;The real use of Joke or Humour is in quite a different direction, and\nit is specially promising among the English who take their \u0026lsquo;sense of humour\u0026rsquo; so\nseriously that a deficiency in this sense is almost the only deficiency at\nwhich they feel shame. Humour is for them the all-consoling and (mark this) the\nall-excusing, grace of life\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition danger\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eall-excusing grace of life\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHumour is for them the all-consoling and (mark this) the all-excusing,\ngrace of life\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition abstract\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eAbstract\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBasically I understand Lewis to be saying here that men (or the English in\nparticular) take great pride in having a sense of humor - so much so that\nhumor becomes an excuse to laugh at anything. When anything is worth laughing\nat, then I think it\u0026rsquo;s very hard to prioritize things above others - becuase\nif everything is a joke, is anything really worthy of more than a joke?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition warning\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eFlippancy\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI didn\u0026rsquo;t understand flippancy as first because I\u0026rsquo;ve always kind of equated\nit with \u0026ldquo;quick\u0026rdquo;. However, it\u0026rsquo;s more of a \u0026ldquo;quickness\u0026rdquo; paired with a total\nlack of respect/awareness for/of X.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition warning\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003echurches\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAre there areas in the church where we are flippant (specifically with humor I guess?)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"chapter-12\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChapter 12\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chapter-12\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition danger\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003epage 57-58\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs long as he retains externally the habits of a Christian he can still be\nmade to think of himself as one who has adopted a few new friends and\namusements but whose spiritual state is much the same as it was six weeks\nago.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epage 58. [The dim uneasiness about \u003ccode\u003ebacksliding\u003c/code\u003e Screwtape describes in the\nchapter] increases the patient\u0026rsquo;s reluctance to think about the Enemy.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition abstract\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eAbstract\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is too real for me - in seasons of rebellion, and honestly anytime I\nfall away from \u0026ldquo;Christian habits\u0026rdquo; I notice that I am actually reluctant to\npray or meditate. Often the only thing that (or the initial thing in\nappearance) that brings me back is my kids and praying with them or singing\nDoxology. A choice I wouldnt\u0026rsquo; make alone, but make for their sake - perhaps\nthis is God\u0026rsquo;s grace poured out on me\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition danger\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003epage 58\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey hate every idea that suggests Him, just as men in financial\nembarrassment hate the very sight of a pass-book.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"chapter-13\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChapter 13\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chapter-13\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eParticularly a challenging chapter. It\u0026rsquo;s interesting to think about pleasurable\nthings, for their own sake and not enjoyed outside the boundaires set for\npleasure by God, are harmful to our enemy\u0026rsquo;s tactics. I do not know if I enjoy\nthings for their own sake enough or rightly\u0026hellip;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition warning\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eWarning\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDo my tech hobbies make me more human or less by distracting me from holier\nthings\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"chapter-14\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChapter 14\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chapter-14\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition warning\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003epage 69\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll virtues are less formidable to us once the man is aware that he has\nthem, but this is specially true of humility.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"chapter-16\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChapter 16\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chapter-16\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition note\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003epage 81\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the first place the parochial organisation [Church] should always be\nattacked, because, being a \u003cem\u003eunity of place and not of likings\u003c/em\u003e, it brings\npeople of different classes and psychology together in the kind of unity\nthe Enemy desires\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition danger\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003epage 82-83\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn order to spare the laity all \u0026lsquo;difficulties\u0026rsquo; he has deserted both the\nlectionary and the appointed psalms and now, without noticing it, revoles\nendlessly round the little treadmill of his fifteen favourite psalms and\ntwenty favorite lessons.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"chapter-17\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChapter 17\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chapter-17\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition abstract\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eAbstract\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGluttony of Delicacy, not gluttony of Excess\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition danger\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003epage 88\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou see? Because what she wants is smaller and less costly than what has\nbeen set before her, she never recognises as gluttony her determination to\nget what she wants, however troublesome it may be to others\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"chapter-18\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChapter 18\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chapter-18\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eScrewtape\u0026rsquo;s lack of understanding,and arrogant questioning, of the Enemy\u0026rsquo;s\n\u003cem\u003elove\u003c/em\u003e is a hilarious commentary on humans who stand staunchly opposed to\nYahweh. Academic peers of mine, with such amazing pride, speaking aginst the\nBiblical narrative because \u003cem\u003eit doesn\u0026rsquo;t make sense\u003c/em\u003e\u0026hellip; Lewis makes a good point\nthrough Screwtape \u0026ldquo;Members of His faction have frequently admitted that if ever\nwe [demons] came to understand what He means by love, the war would be over and\nwe should re-enter Heaven\u0026rdquo;. I think Lewis\u0026rsquo; point dovetails with the idea that\nJesus is actually very compelling and the rubbish about him being offensive is\na replay of the Gospels - where the rich and elite are the ones offended, not\nthe people he calls to the kingdom. Jesus\u0026rsquo; love doesn\u0026rsquo;t make sense to those who\nhave everything they think they need\u0026hellip; His love is for those who know they are\nlowly\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"chapter-19\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChapter 19\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chapter-19\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTODO: Go through and make notes\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"chapter-20\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChapter 20\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chapter-20\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTODO: Go through and make notes\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"chapter-21\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChapter 21\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chapter-21\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTODO: Go through and make notes\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"chatper-22\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChatper 22\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chatper-22\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTODO: Go through and make notes\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"chatper-23\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChatper 23\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chatper-23\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTODO: Go through and make notes\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"chatper-24\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChatper 24\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chatper-24\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epage 130 - It\u0026rsquo;s always the novice who exaggerates\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition abstract\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eAbstract\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI think about Summit in particular, where I got to meet a lot of big names in\napologetics, and I\u0026rsquo;d talk about them to others like we were friends\u0026hellip; The\ndifference between \u0026ldquo;I know X\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;X knows me\u0026rdquo; is a thing I kept hidden so I\ncould feel important\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"chatper-25\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChatper 25\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chatper-25\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition danger\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eChristianity And...\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat we want, if men becomes Christians at all, is to koeep them in the\nstate of mind I call \u0026lsquo;Christianity And\u0026rsquo;. You know - Christianity and the\nCrisis,Christianity and the New Order, \u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition abstract\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eAbstract\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI don\u0026rsquo;t know\u0026hellip; smells more and more like Christian Nationalism is the\nmodern-day \u003ccode\u003eChristinaity And\u003c/code\u003e\u0026hellip; So much focus on policy, behavior, order\n(patriarchy even)\u0026hellip;. Not a lot about Jesus \u003cem\u003ein the conversation about\nChristian Nationalism\u003c/em\u003e (not that Christians in this mindset don\u0026rsquo;t genuinely\nlove Jesus or talk about him - but I don\u0026rsquo;t hear Jesus often in the\nconversation, I only hear the politics). But I suppose to be fair there\u0026rsquo;s\nevery chance in the world that I misunderstand the position and people.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition danger\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eDanger\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut if I do misunderstand\u0026hellip; A fairly educated, theologically competent,\nBiblically literate person\u0026hellip; then what do Christian Nationalists expect of\npeople who never heard of Jesus, or already were introduced to Republican\nJesus or something\u0026hellip; I\u0026rsquo;m not the cream of the crop, but if I don\u0026rsquo;t\nproperly understand what the position is about then the world, unbelievers\nI mean, will be even more turned off to the Gospel\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePage 139 - \u0026ldquo;We have trained them to think of the Future as a promised land\nwhich favoured heroes attain - not as something which everyone reaches at the\nrate of sixety minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is\u0026hellip;\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"chatper-26\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChatper 26\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chatper-26\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition danger\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003e_Unselfishness_\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNote, once again, the admirable work of our Philological Arm in\nsubstituting the negative unselfishness for the Enemy\u0026rsquo;s positive Charity\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBig one for me\u0026hellip; hard to even process\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition warning\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003epage 143\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn discussing any joint action, it becomes obligatory thta A should argue\nin favour of B\u0026rsquo;s supposed wishes and against his own, while B does the\nopposite\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition abstract\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003eAbstract\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGoing out to eat, what to do tonight, etc\u0026hellip; simple things, not big ones\n(like how to discipline our kids), is where this is just rampant in my\nlife\u0026hellip; I constantly and consciously say in my head \u0026ldquo;X will make my wife\nhappier even though I don\u0026rsquo;t want to\u0026rdquo; then after whatever \u0026ldquo;X\u0026rdquo; is, turns out\nshe didn\u0026rsquo;t really care or want it \u003cem\u003eOR\u003c/em\u003e she\u0026rsquo;s upset because she feels like a\nnuisance to me\u0026hellip; Then the reality is I don\u0026rsquo;t actually know if I saw her as a\nnuisance in that moment, or if I genuinely wanted to do what she wanted out\nof love and charity\u0026hellip;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"admonition warning\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"admonition-title\"\u003epage 144\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe insists on doing \u0026lsquo;what the others want\u0026rsquo;. They insist on doing what he\nwants. Passions are roused. Soon someone is saying \u0026lsquo;Very well then, I won\u0026rsquo;t\nhave any tea at all!\u0026rsquo;, and a real quarrel ensues with bitter resentment on\nboth sides.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHappens all the freaking time, and at the end of it I\u0026rsquo;m left with \u0026ldquo;wtf just happened?\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"chatper-27\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChatper 27\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chatper-27\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTODO: Go through and make notes\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"chatper-28\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"heading-wear-glyph\"\u003eChatper 28\u003c/span\u003e \u003ca href=\"#chatper-28\" class=\"heading-anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\n", "content_text": "\n# Chapters\n\nBelow are just quick notes or quotes from each chapter as a reminder of what to\ngo back to chat about. This isn't intended to be in-depth by any stretch.\n\n## Chapter 1\n\n\"Your man has been accustomed, ever since he was a boy, to have a dozen\nincompatible philosophies dancing about together inside his head. He doesn't\nthink of doctrines as primarily 'true' or 'false', but as 'academic' or\n'practical', 'outworn' or 'contemporary', 'conventional' or 'ruthless'\"\n\n## Chapter 2\n\n## Chapter 3\n\npg 11. Keeping the patient's mind focused on the 'inner life' so his actions do\nnot ever reflect his conversion\n\npg 12. Creating an imaginary person for whom to pray... \"In time, you may get\nthe cleavage so wide that no thought or feeling from his prayers for the\nimagined mother will ever flow over into his treatment of the real one\"\n\npg 13-14. \"Let him assume that she knows how annoying it is and does it to\nannoy - if you know your job he will not notice the immense improbability of\nthe assumption\" -\u003e This point is particularly convicting to me\n\n!!! abstract \"\"\n\n The last point about encouraging the patient to interpret the mother's every\n move in an over-sensitive fashion is actually very relatable for me\n\n## Chapter 4\n\npg 15. Convincing the patient that scheduled prayer is wrong and that he must\ncreate a _mood_ within himself for real prayer reminds me of high school youth\ngroups talking about \"praying in the spirit\" and silly conversation \"combating\nsalvation by works\" ideas like scheduled prayer times.\n\npg 16. \"they constantly forget, what you must always remember, that they are\nanimals and that whatever their bodies do affects their souls\" 👈 feels a lot\nlike Genesis 3, and humans are never more human than when we exercise\nself-control.\n\npg. 16. \"Keep them watching their own minds and trying to produce _feelings_\nthere by the action of their own wills\"\n\n!!! abstract \"\"\n\n I totally remember feeling like I needed to want to pray in order for my\n prayers to matter\n\npg 17. \"When they say they re praying for forgiveness, let them be trying to\nfeel forgiven\"\n\npg 18. \"But whatever the nature of the composite object, you must keep him\npraying to _it_ - to the thing that he has made, not to the Person who has made\nhim\"\n\n!!! abstract \"\"\n\n Lewis talking actual idolatry with meaningful consequences... not the \"money\n is my idol\" take most pastors preach\n\n## Chapter 5\n\npg 23. \"...while tens of thousands who do not go so far as that will\nnevertheless have their attention diverted from themselves to values and causes\nwhich they believe to be higher than the self. I know that the Enemy\ndisapproves many of these causes. But that is where He is so unfair. He often\nmakes prizes of humans who have given their lives for causes He think bad on\nthe monstrously sophistical ground that the humans thought them good and were\nfollowing the best they knew\"\n\n!!! warning \"WARNING TITLE\"\n\n This reminds me of the young Tarkan in Narnia: The Last Battle, who Aslan\n ascribes all his good deeds done to Tash as done to himself - effectively\n saying the Tarkan's loyalty to the wrong god is honored by Aslan? Definitely\n want to know more about Lewis' thoughts there and here in Screwtape\n\n## Chapter 6\n\npg 25. \"There is nothing like suspense and anxiety for barricading a human's\nmind against the Enemy.\"\n\n!!! warning \"\"\n\n Screwtape's point in the beinning of the chapter confuses me... He instructs\n Wormwood to keep the man thinking that the things he is anxious about, the\n things themselves, are his trials/cross to bear, rather than the anxiety\n itself. So from the Christian perspective, Lewis seems to be saying that the\n real-time, present, acute anxiety and suspense in the man's heart regarding the\n war is the actual trial and cross... not the things the man is anxious about. I\n don't know what to do with this but it _feels_ convicting to me. Growing up I\n often had the thought that nothing could be wrong because \"I have Jesus\", and I\n would look at my circumstances as things to bear - for me the biggest one was\n singleness. So would Lewis say my outlook on my singleness as the thing to\n bear, rather than the anxiety about being single, was the enemy twisting my\n convictions to be inward rather than God-ward? It clearly looks like my\n convictions were inward, but I'm not sure I understand how seeing the anxiety\n itself as my \"cross to bare\" is any more Biblical...\n\n## Chapter 7\n\npage 32. \"The fact that 'devils' are predominately _comic_ figures in the\nmodern imagination will help you\"\n\n!!! abstract \"\"\n\n I think It's funny because I bet most people, myself included, reading this book (at\n least the first time) have a red-devil type figure in mind for Screwtape or\n Wormwood\n\npage 31-32. \"If once we can produce our perfect work -- the Materialist\nMagician, the man, not using, but veritably worshipping, what he vaguely called\n'Froces' while denying the existence of 'spirits' -- then the end of the war\nwill be in sight.\"\n\n!!! abstract \"\"\n\n I hear some non-Christian friends say things like \"I'm spiritual so I\n appreciate your prayers\". In a sense they believe in some kind of\n non-physical \"thing\" but not in any real sense so it looks, to me, similar to\n what Screwtape longs for in his letter to Wormwood.\n\npage 32. \"All extremes, except extreme deviotion to the Enemy, are to be\nencouraged... Other ages, of which the present is one, are unbalanced and prone\nto faction, and it is our business to inflame them\"\n\n!!! abstract \"\"\n\n Using Christianity to justify political positions or judgement seems right\n here. Extreme devotion to our God I don't think should offend people as often\n or to the degree that many Christians think is right... People flocked to\n Jesus, only the religious elite and politically powerful hated him. When\n Christianity is mixed with anything other than itself, that's when it becomes\n offensive. I think I see people hold to something like Christian Nationalism,\n and the offensive nature of it justifies the position because \"we were always\n going to be persecured for loving Jesus\"\n\n!!! danger \"page 34\"\n\n Let him begin by treating the Patriotism or the Pacifism as a part of his\n religion. Then let him, under then influence of partisan spirit, come to\n regard it as the most important part...\n\n## Chapter 8\n\n!!! success \"page 39\"\n\n For He cannot ravish. He can only woo.\n\n!!! note \"page 40\"\n\n He wants them to learn to walk and must therefore take away His hand; and\n if only the will to walk is really there He is pleased even with their\n stumbles\n\n## Chapter 9\n\npage 43. \"In the first place I have always found that the trough periods of the\nhuman undulation provide excellen opportunity for all sensual tempations,\nparticularly those of sex... The attack has a much better chance of success\nwhen the man's whole innter world is drab and cold and empty.\"\n\n!!! abstract \"\"\n\n I feel this observation in my own life deeply - in my 'troughs' I'm drawn to\n pleasurable things in a very unpleasurable way\n\n!!! success \"page 44\"\n\n Never forget that when we are dealing with any pleasure in its healthy and\n normal and satisfying form, we are, in a sense, on the Enemy's ground.\n\n!!! danger \"jargon not wisdom\"\n\n Of course there is no conceivable way of getting by reason from the\n proposition 'I am losing interest in this' to the proposition 'This is\n false'/ But, as I said before, it is jargon, not reason, you must rely on.\n\n## Chapter 10\n\npage 49. \"Did he commit himself deeply? I don't mean the words. There is a\nsubtle play of looks and tons and laughs by which a mortal can imply that he is\nof the same party as those to whom he is speaking\"\n\n!!! abstract \"\"\n\n I resonate with the temptation Scretape is basically instructing Wormwood to\n employ - two-facedness/double-life. In hs/college in particular I would 'play\n the part' to fit in to a particular crowd. I'd rarely confess Christianity\n early on, would never deny it explicitly, but would act and talk in a\n way/about things to imply that I was not necessarily non-Christian, but\n instead nothing to ask about.\n\n Chapter 10 in overall convicting as it just drives home the point I noted\n just now.... that I'm very prone to 'acting' in order to fit into a community\n\n## Chatper 11\n\npage 55. \"The real use of Joke or Humour is in quite a different direction, and\nit is specially promising among the English who take their 'sense of humour' so\nseriously that a deficiency in this sense is almost the only deficiency at\nwhich they feel shame. Humour is for them the all-consoling and (mark this) the\nall-excusing, grace of life\"\n\n!!! danger \"all-excusing grace of life\"\n\n Humour is for them the all-consoling and (mark this) the all-excusing,\n grace of life\n\n!!! abstract \"\"\n\n Basically I understand Lewis to be saying here that men (or the English in\n particular) take great pride in having a sense of humor - so much so that\n humor becomes an excuse to laugh at anything. When anything is worth laughing\n at, then I think it's very hard to prioritize things above others - becuase\n if everything is a joke, is anything really worthy of more than a joke?\n\n!!! warning \"Flippancy\"\n\n I didn't understand flippancy as first because I've always kind of equated\n it with \"quick\". However, it's more of a \"quickness\" paired with a total\n lack of respect/awareness for/of X.\n\n!!! warning \"churches\"\n\n Are there areas in the church where we are flippant (specifically with humor I guess?)\n\n## Chapter 12\n\n!!! danger \"page 57-58\"\n\n As long as he retains externally the habits of a Christian he can still be\n made to think of himself as one who has adopted a few new friends and\n amusements but whose spiritual state is much the same as it was six weeks\n ago.\n\npage 58. [The dim uneasiness about `backsliding` Screwtape describes in the\nchapter] increases the patient's reluctance to think about the Enemy.\n\n!!! abstract \"\"\n\n This is too real for me - in seasons of rebellion, and honestly anytime I\n fall away from \"Christian habits\" I notice that I am actually reluctant to\n pray or meditate. Often the only thing that (or the initial thing in\n appearance) that brings me back is my kids and praying with them or singing\n Doxology. A choice I wouldnt' make alone, but make for their sake - perhaps\n this is God's grace poured out on me\n\n!!! danger \"page 58\"\n\n They hate every idea that suggests Him, just as men in financial\n embarrassment hate the very sight of a pass-book.\n\n## Chapter 13\n\nParticularly a challenging chapter. It's interesting to think about pleasurable\nthings, for their own sake and not enjoyed outside the boundaires set for\npleasure by God, are harmful to our enemy's tactics. I do not know if I enjoy\nthings for their own sake enough or rightly....\n\n!!! warning \"\"\n\n Do my tech hobbies make me more human or less by distracting me from holier\n things...\n\n## Chapter 14\n\n!!! warning \"page 69\"\n\n All virtues are less formidable to us once the man is aware that he has\n them, but this is specially true of humility.\n\n## Chapter 16\n\n!!! note \"page 81\"\n\n In the first place the parochial organisation [Church] should always be\n attacked, because, being a _unity of place and not of likings_, it brings\n people of different classes and psychology together in the kind of unity\n the Enemy desires\n\n!!! danger \"page 82-83\"\n\n In order to spare the laity all 'difficulties' he has deserted both the\n lectionary and the appointed psalms and now, without noticing it, revoles\n endlessly round the little treadmill of his fifteen favourite psalms and\n twenty favorite lessons.\n\n## Chapter 17\n\n!!! abstract \"\"\n\n Gluttony of Delicacy, not gluttony of Excess\n\n!!! danger \"page 88\"\n\n You see? Because what she wants is smaller and less costly than what has\n been set before her, she never recognises as gluttony her determination to\n get what she wants, however troublesome it may be to others\n\n## Chapter 18\n\nScrewtape's lack of understanding,and arrogant questioning, of the Enemy's\n_love_ is a hilarious commentary on humans who stand staunchly opposed to\nYahweh. Academic peers of mine, with such amazing pride, speaking aginst the\nBiblical narrative because _it doesn't make sense_... Lewis makes a good point\nthrough Screwtape \"Members of His faction have frequently admitted that if ever\nwe [demons] came to understand what He means by love, the war would be over and\nwe should re-enter Heaven\". I think Lewis' point dovetails with the idea that\nJesus is actually very compelling and the rubbish about him being offensive is\na replay of the Gospels - where the rich and elite are the ones offended, not\nthe people he calls to the kingdom. Jesus' love doesn't make sense to those who\nhave everything they think they need... His love is for those who know they are\nlowly\n\n## Chapter 19\n\n\u003e TODO: Go through and make notes\n\n## Chapter 20\n\n\u003e TODO: Go through and make notes\n\n## Chapter 21\n\n\u003e TODO: Go through and make notes\n\n## Chatper 22\n\n\u003e TODO: Go through and make notes\n\n## Chatper 23\n\n\u003e TODO: Go through and make notes\n\n## Chatper 24\n\npage 130 - It's always the novice who exaggerates...\n\n!!! abstract \"\"\n\n I think about Summit in particular, where I got to meet a lot of big names in\n apologetics, and I'd talk about them to others like we were friends... The\n difference between \"I know X\" and \"X knows me\" is a thing I kept hidden so I\n could feel important\n\n## Chatper 25\n\n!!! danger \"Christianity And...\"\n\n What we want, if men becomes Christians at all, is to koeep them in the\n state of mind I call 'Christianity And'. You know - Christianity and the\n Crisis,Christianity and the New Order, ...\n\n!!! abstract \"\"\n\n I don't know... smells more and more like Christian Nationalism is the\n modern-day `Christinaity And`... So much focus on policy, behavior, order\n (patriarchy even).... Not a lot about Jesus _in the conversation about\n Christian Nationalism_ (not that Christians in this mindset don't genuinely\n love Jesus or talk about him - but I don't hear Jesus often in the\n conversation, I only hear the politics). But I suppose to be fair there's\n every chance in the world that I misunderstand the position and people.\n\n!!! danger \"\"\n\n But if I do misunderstand... A fairly educated, theologically competent,\n Biblically literate person... then what do Christian Nationalists expect of\n people who never heard of Jesus, or already were introduced to Republican\n Jesus or something... I'm not the cream of the crop, but if I don't\n properly understand what the position is about then the world, unbelievers\n I mean, will be even more turned off to the Gospel\n\nPage 139 - \"We have trained them to think of the Future as a promised land\nwhich favoured heroes attain - not as something which everyone reaches at the\nrate of sixety minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is...\"\n\n## Chatper 26\n\n!!! danger \"_Unselfishness_\"\n\n Note, once again, the admirable work of our Philological Arm in\n substituting the negative unselfishness for the Enemy's positive Charity\n\n\u003e Big one for me... hard to even process\n\n!!! warning \"page 143\"\n\n In discussing any joint action, it becomes obligatory thta A should argue\n in favour of B's supposed wishes and against his own, while B does the\n opposite\n\n!!! abstract \"\"\n\n Going out to eat, what to do tonight, etc... simple things, not big ones\n (like how to discipline our kids), is where this is just rampant in my\n life... I constantly and consciously say in my head \"X will make my wife\n happier even though I don't want to\" then after whatever \"X\" is, turns out\n she didn't really care or want it _OR_ she's upset because she feels like a\n nuisance to me... Then the reality is I don't actually know if I saw her as a\n nuisance in that moment, or if I genuinely wanted to do what she wanted out\n of love and charity...\n\n!!! warning \"page 144\"\n\n He insists on doing 'what the others want'. They insist on doing what he\n wants. Passions are roused. Soon someone is saying 'Very well then, I won't\n have any tea at all!', and a real quarrel ensues with bitter resentment on\n both sides.\n\n\u003e Happens all the freaking time, and at the end of it I'm left with \"wtf just happened?\"\n\n## Chatper 27\n\n\u003e TODO: Go through and make notes\n\n## Chatper 28\n", "summary": "Below are just quick notes or quotes from each chapter as a reminder of what to go back to chat about. This isn't intended to be in-depth by any stretch.", "date_published": "2022-08-22T00:00:00Z", "date_modified": "2022-08-22T00:00:00Z", "authors": [ { "name": "Nic Payne", "url": "https://pype.dev" } ], "tags": [ "books", "faith" ] } ] }